A Rant That Will Probably Make Me Unpopular

[poliphilo]

I see there is much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in fandom.

The movie Serenity (which I haven't seen) has divided the followers of the Firefly cult (I haven't see Firefly either.)

Oh come on guys, it's a story. It's fiction. It didn't really happen. That guy that got killed (and you're all getting so worked up about) didn't really get killed because he was never really alive. That was an actor. He got paid at the end of the day and is sitting comfortably beside his pool in the Hollywood hills waiting for his agent to ring.

It's the religion thing, isn't it? We stop believing in God, but it leaves such a huge, gaping, black hole and it hurts so much that we panic and rage and go round looking for things- any old things- to stuff into the emptiness. And so we start believing in Joss Whedon or that guy who made the LOTR films (whose name temporarily escapes me) or (heaven help us) George Lucas.

And just as true believers make themselves blind to the inconsistencies, impossibilities and stylistic infelicities in the New Testament, so fans convince themselves that their favourite TV shows and films aren't in fact a load of crap.

Look, I liked Buffy. I was sort of in love with Willow. But series #7 was garbage, you know it was.

And Lord of The Rings. I love Tolkien (not uncritically) but the movies kinda highlighted all his faults and failed to translate his real merits into filmic terms. Wake up, guys, those films are dull. As dull as the Pentateuch. And I for one never want to see another CGI battle ever again.

As for Lucas- everyone agrees that the prequels are horrible- so why do you keep going to see them again and again? Are you mad?

Wake up, think for yourselves, think critically. Stop being such sheep!

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Having now read through the thoughtful and intelligent responses to your post, and your own remarks, I'm a little embarrassed to see my facile banner ("Peter Jackson can do no wrong, yah, yah) hanging out there at the top...

Kate was watching part II last night, and I was doing something else, but found myself overtaken by the music. It kept drawing me in.

And the acting, which is superb, I think.

I remarked to Kate, "This wouldn't be half so good without the music or the fine acting, or the really great costumes..."

Kate said, "Or what if the actors were sitting around a cardtable with their scripts? Or maybe weren't actors at all--just random Tolkien fans?"

I now realize that, truth to tell, I would have liked more out of the Mines of Moria--Tolkien made that a place of wonder.

And I now admit also that I HATED the stupid TREES.

And I wanted the Old Forest.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think Jackson missed a lot of opportunities. I don't think he's much good at conjuring atmosphere. The Mines of Moria weren't spooky enough and Lothlorien wasn't magical enough- and so it goes. In place of atmosphere you get lots of spectacle and fighting.

Tell you one thing I really thought was great- the Balrog!