The Shrine

Surely one of you are victims of this movie, I've managed to avoid it, though I had 2x close calls where I almost had to see it.

I was in a kid's consignment store Saturday and the girls at the counter were discussing Team Edward/Team Jacob and talking about how one of them went to the dollar theater and sat through 3 playings of the first movie. And blah blah blah.

It was torture. I almost walked out.

Steph hates Twilight, and I hardly know what I'm missing except perhaps satisfying my curiosity as to what it is actually about =)

I ignored Harry Potter for a years until I just sat down and watched one, and I liked it.

My cousins have saved me from my wife's wrath and the three of them have made plans to see it next weekend after the tweens have watched it 12 times and it's not so packed anymore. I've dodged that one big-time

My girlfriend has read all of the books but fully acknowledges that they're dumb. She'll probably see the movie at some point but realizes I won't watch it with her.

Julius Seeker wrote:Steph hates Twilight, and I hardly know what I'm missing except perhaps satisfying my curiosity as to what it is actually about =)

I ignored Harry Potter for a years until I just sat down and watched one, and I liked it.

Harry Potter is actually a good series of books, at least from some of the more intelligent people I know who have read it. The movies are enjoyable, too.

Twilight is one of those shitty teen love stories, disguised as a vampire series. You could see what is going to happen just based on the previews. True Blood ends up being a better series (and probably a better set of books) than that shit.

My gf is all about Harry Potter, thank god, so no Twilight for me

My GF saw the first movie with her sister, but doesnt seem to have interest in the 2nd. We are both a little vampire overloaded, even though i do like True Blood.

My friend got dragged along by his girlfriend, so I've heard the highlights. Evidently this new movie has some really sweet action sequences, but is still shitty.

Twilight is basically porn for girls.

And the teeny boppers love it because it's basically a high school girl going through her first love, and somehow FORCING it to work. As opposed to getting dumped, getting over it, and moving on with her life, like normal people do.

Eric wrote:And the teeny boppers love it because it's basically a high school girl going through her first love, and somehow FORCING it to work. As opposed to getting dumped, getting over it, and moving on with her life, like normal people do.

Sounds no worse than the power fantasies that attract young boys. (And grown-up men, frankly.) Think of The Matrix. That's nerd wishful thinking of the highest order: a computer hacker who spends all of his time holed up in his room trying to uncover a conspiracy discovers he's actually a superhero and gets the girl.

Perhaps I should clarify that I did, and still do, like The Matrix. But I know when I'm being pandered to.

Kupek wrote:

Eric wrote:And the teeny boppers love it because it's basically a high school girl going through her first love, and somehow FORCING it to work. As opposed to getting dumped, getting over it, and moving on with her life, like normal people do.

Sounds no worse than the power fantasies that attract young boys. (And grown-up men, frankly.) Think of The Matrix. That's nerd wishful thinking of the highest order: a computer hacker who spends all of his time holed up in his room trying to uncover a conspiracy discovers he's actually a superhero and gets the girl.

Perhaps I should clarify that I did, and still do, like The Matrix. But I know when I'm being pandered to.

Wasn't 300 pandering to you too?

Jokes aside, I get what you're saying.

Yeah, but at least the first Matrix was well-written. Can't say the same for 2. 3 is alright in doses, but like 2, gets too bogged down in its own Mythos.

Kupek wrote:Perhaps I should clarify that I did, and still do, like The Matrix. But I know when I'm being pandered to.

So, the best thing you can come up with is a well-written story about the dualities between a post-apocalyptic world of truth, and the modern day world of lies? Granted, there was plenty of kung fu, but it's not like it was totally mindless.

The best comparison I can think of to Twilight would be The Fast and the Furious. Total guy movie about cars and chicks, with no plot to speak of. Except in this case, Vin Diesel is in it, which the girls like. Funny how that works: all of the guy movies have sexy guys -and- sexy girls, where as the chick flicks have just the sexy guys (or no guys and no sexy at all).

This is the problem with chick flicks. Chicks can still enjoy a guy movie. Guys have nothing to identify with on a chick flick.

I must admit though, one of the exceptions to that rule looked to be The Ugly Truth. I considered watching that one because the actress in that one is so fraking hot.

I get why you don't like it. I don't, either. What I don't get is the hate. It almost seems like the geeks are offended that a fantasy movie exists, and it's not for them.

Kupek wrote:I get why you don't like it. I don't, either. What I don't get is the hate. It almost seems like the geeks are offended that a fantasy movie exists, and it's not for them.

The same way nerds hate Titanic?

EDIT: BTW, New Moon broke Dark Knight's record for first-day sales with $72.7M on Friday and is third for all time 3-day haul behind that and Spidey 3.

http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment ... 46-ap.html

This is all during a "slow" theatre time as well, particularly the week before Thanksgiving. All of the other record holders are summer releases

This film was god awful. Honestly, I think the acting could have been portrayed better by the Skinemax actors and actresses than these people. Vampires that "sparkle?" c'mon now.

Dialogue was sub-par. Acting was either over acted or it was like watching card board cut-outs move around.

Kupek wrote:What I don't get is the hate. It almost seems like the geeks are offended that a fantasy movie exists, and it's not for them.

The vampires GLITTER in daylight. They glitter!! Invent your own deadly but sexy predators of man if you want them to glitter in daylight. Don't appropriate and subvert established mythological badasses.

(When I expressed outrage at the glittering to the girls at work, they asked: "What are they meant to do?" Entire generations of impressionable women are going to be vulnerable to the vampire threat because of this series!)

When did vampires stop having the ability to transform into bats?

That's an awesome comic :-)

Kupek wrote:I get why you don't like it. I don't, either. What I don't get is the hate. It almost seems like the geeks are offended that a fantasy movie exists, and it's not for them.

It's the fact that the movie has no plot to speak of, and it's insanely popular. Harry Potter is popular, but it has a good plot. Stars Wars is popular, but it has a good plot. I could name dozens of good popular movies. People hate Twilight the same reason why people hate Titanic (as Zeus was quick to point out): Because it's popular, many people like it, and the movie blows.

I'm mean hell, it's WORSE than Titanic. Titanic won a goddamn Oscar, so at least the acting was there somewhere. These are the kind of movies that no sane person would stand up and say "That's some great acting there". It would be like if The Fast and the Furious had some sort of mega-huge following.

But, the real reason behind the hate is the fact that Hollywood will think this is an example of a movie they should stand behind. It's another affirmation that fucktard movies like this should be mass produced.

Have you seen it? I haven't. I bet most people who "hate" it haven't. Hence, I can't speak to the acting or story.

If you haven't figured it out by now, the books and the movies are targeted at pre-adolescent girls. Some grown women still get a kick out of it for the same reason people here still like Transformers and GI Joe. That entertainment aimed at little girls doesn't stand up to serious scrutiny should not be a surprise.

Kupek wrote:Have you seen it? I haven't. I bet most people who "hate" it haven't. Hence, I can't speak to the acting or story.

True, but we have our sources of people who HAVE seen it. Intelligent people who aren't caught up by the "OMG! Team X!" bullshit. And the general consensus is that the movies blow.

Kupek wrote:If you haven't figured it out by now, the books and the movies are targeted at pre-adolescent girls. Some grown women still get a kick out of it for the same reason people here still like Transformers and GI Joe. That entertainment aimed at little girls doesn't stand up to serious scrutiny should not be a surprise.

The whole thing is porn for teenage girls. And older women. They go see it to watch the guys rip their shirt off, and to watch some horribly put together story about vampire love. The book series is like one of those bad romance novels, except it has vampires in it. And again, it has nothing that guys can identify with, which is the most important point.

Transformers had a decent plot, was funny, and had action. It had stuff that BOTH sexes could appeal to. If you start out the sentence with "Were you dragged to see X?", then it's the kind of movie that only one sex is going to like.

Again, I compare it to The Fast and the Furious. Shitty movie with no plot. EXCEPT IT DIDN'T GROSS $500 BILLION AT THE BOX OFFICE! Shitty movies should be punished, not rewarded.

And your whole comment about "pre-adolescent girls" reminds me of Harry Potter, which is targeted towards pre-adolescent boys (or childen in general). However, adults like it, because it has a GOOD PLOT. That's all that fucking matters!

"Chick flicks" don't have to be geared towards one sex. Just because the subject matter is love doesn't mean it should be automatically considered a chick flick. These audience-driven movies should be avoided. Just make a fucking MOVIE! If the plot is good, the subject doesn't matter. Both sexes will see the movie.

Guys - see under "Dirty Dancing". You are not the target audience for this film.

Sine, you're completely missing the point. You liked Transformers because you were in the target audience. Harry Potter is good, and I enjoy it immensely. J.K. Rowlings was able to make something that appealed to children and adults.

Twilight, apparently, isn't that well made. My point is that Twilight is not made for you, and any anger you have to it is misplaced. Not all fantasy movies are going to be made for you.

Also, I established a rule a while ago about you trying to analyze and criticize things you have not actually seen or played. Come on.

Kupek wrote:Twilight, apparently, isn't that well made. My point is that Twilight is not made for you, and any anger you have to it is misplaced. Not all fantasy movies are going to be made for you.

Not all fantasy movies get this popular. See, it's a simple formula:

C*S = H

Where C = how crappy the movie is, S = the sales figures, and H = is the amount of hate generated by the more intelligent populace.

Kupek wrote:Also, I established a rule a while ago about you trying to analyze and criticize things you have not actually seen or played. Come on.

So, I turn that around against you. Why are you arguing FOR the movie if you haven't seen it?

Because I'm annoyed by grown men who think they're superior for poo-pooing a movie targeted at little girls.

Kupek wrote:Have you seen it? I haven't. I bet most people who "hate" it haven't. Hence, I can't speak to the acting or story.

But for those of us who have seen the first one, do we at least understand what we're getting ourselves into and can safely assume the acting or story will be to the level of the first? This is why I was trying to worm my way out of seeing this one in theatres, the first one sucked hard

Kupek wrote:Sine, you're completely missing the point. You liked Transformers because you were in the target audience. Harry Potter is good, and I enjoy it immensely. J.K. Rowlings was able to make something that appealed to children and adults.

Twilight, apparently, isn't that well made. My point is that Twilight is not made for you, and any anger you have to it is misplaced. Not all fantasy movies are going to be made for you.

Also, I established a rule a while ago about you trying to analyze and criticize things you have not actually seen or played. Come on.

And here I thought you were avoiding these types of arguments :-)

Kupek wrote:Because I'm annoyed by grown men who think they're superior for poo-pooing a movie targeted at little girls.

Because they should quit TARGETING! I just saw Up on DVD. I wanted to see Up, because Pixar has a reputation for writing good stories. It might be "targeted at children", but the story was good for everybody.

I poo-poo shitty movies targeted any whoever the fuck you want. If it's shit, it's shit. It doesn't matter who is watching it.

Zeus wrote:And here I thought you were avoiding these types of arguments :-)

I'm weak. Anyway. Avoiding the movie and not liking it are different than looking down upon it.

Sine, half of what is discussed here is "targeted" entertainment for our demographic.

Kupek wrote:

Zeus wrote:And here I thought you were avoiding these types of arguments :-)

I'm weak. Anyway. Avoiding the movie and not liking it are different than looking down upon it.

Sine, half of what is discussed here is "targeted" entertainment for our demographic.

*Spartan warrior* Nay, sire, you are not weak. You are the great Leonodis! Aruuf! :-)

I agree to a degree, but the reasons we're avoiding this film basically means we're looking down on it. They're not mutually exclusive in this particular case, there's lots of overlap. I can't sit here and say "the original had horrible acting, a shit script, and didn't even hide the fact it was for tweens, I couldn't stand it" and not look down on New Moon at all. Those very reasons mean I'm looking down on the flick even if it's not malicious or intentional.

And Sine, EVERY film ever made is targeted at some demographics otherwise it wouldn't be made. You honestly think a studio exec would say "sure, go make that flick, here's $50 mil. Once it's done we'll toss it out there with some advertising and hope people come". No, it's all targeted marketing at the targeted demographic. Did you ever see 27 Dresses advertised on ESPN? I'd bet your second born it was advertised as shit on the O or W channels.

With Up, they're getting the kids and their parents and, since Pixar's rep is pretty good, hopefully they can get a decent amount of nerds and general18-40 year olds with it. With Titanic, it was a chick flick with the husbands/boyfriends/good-friends-that-will-be-nothing-more as collateral damage.....much like Twilight.

SineSwiper wrote:

Kupek wrote:Because I'm annoyed by grown men who think they're superior for poo-pooing a movie targeted at little girls.

SineSwiper wrote:Because they should quit TARGETING!

No "they" shouldn't, "they" are making hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars on the franchise. It would be stupid to turn down an opportunity to generate that kind of income.

Julius Seeker wrote:No "they" shouldn't, "they" are making hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars on the franchise. It would be stupid to turn down an opportunity to generate that kind of income.

Which is why they keep making them. And Hollywood will always do this because shitty movies will generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

Doesn't mean I still can't bitch about how Hollywood continues to produce crap, but I was pointing out that you can still make GOOD movies and make a profit, too.

SineSwiper wrote:Doesn't mean I still can't bitch about how Hollywood continues to produce crap, but I was pointing out that you can still make GOOD movies and make a profit, too.

Hey, I'm with you there. But just because a movie is targeted has nothing to do with the quality. There are tons of kids movies (ie. Wall-E), rom coms (ie. Knocked Up), and dramas (ie. Shawshank) that are amazing flicks that everyone in every demographic can enjoy.

But at the end of the day, money talks so we'll always see the superficial drudge lacking any kind of storyline or acting ability get eaten up by the masses. So like with every form of entertainment, those of us who are more into that particular form and demand higher "quality" are in the minority and have to sift through mountains of garbage before we get the good stuff

SineSwiper wrote:

Julius Seeker wrote:No "they" shouldn't, "they" are making hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars on the franchise. It would be stupid to turn down an opportunity to generate that kind of income.

Which is why they keep making them. And Hollywood will always do this because shitty movies will generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

Doesn't mean I still can't bitch about how Hollywood continues to produce crap, but I was pointing out that you can still make GOOD movies and make a profit, too.

I don't dispute that you feel Hollywood will keep making movies you feel are bad and that you have found motivation to bitch about it. I do not, however, see how that really supports your previous point, that the film industry should stop targeting audiences.

The film industry exists to sell films; it doesn't exist to serve up films aspiring to a Shakespearean ideal all the time. There is a large target audience who will want harlequin romance too. What is the wisdom in the advice to not produce for this demand as well? No matter how hard you thump that bible, people will still want to get off.

http://www.fmylife.com/love/6494130

Seriously.....wtf....

Imakeholesinu wrote:http://www.fmylife.com/love/6494130

Seriously.....wtf....

I'll use a new word I just learn five minutes ago from that site: FHL

Kupek wrote:Because I'm annoyed by grown men who think they're superior for poo-pooing a movie targeted at little girls.

Ha! You WISH the movie was targeted at little girls.

HAHAHA, nice pic =)

Thought you guys might like this...

It's some guys explanation of why Breaking Dawn must be made into a movie.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/21684 ... Page1.html

Lox wrote:Thought you guys might like this...

It's some guys explanation of why Breaking Dawn must be made into a movie.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/21684 ... Page1.html

That is fantastic. I would def go see the 4th movie even if i skipped all the others.

Oh my LOL

That is horribly awesome!

OK, I'm in for the 4th film too. That's like a train wreck, so horribly bad but you just can't take your eyes off of it

And yet, I'm the one arguing with Kupek that it's a horrible series?

SineSwiper wrote:And yet, I'm the one arguing with Kupek that it's a horrible series?

If you think that was the argument, then you were not paying attention.

Man, it's not even worth renewing that argument. I have a kid to watch, and I've had enough hour-long replies this week.

Oh dear god. I'm so fucking tired of hearing about Twilight and the goddamn sparkles.

And thank you for posting that link about the last book. I've seen the first movie and eh. Whatever. I don't get what all the hype is about. I mean, it's not horrible, but it is NOT worth all the hype and the drama and the sparkles. But I've been argued with SO MUCH about how the books are just "so much better than the movie could ever be!" and after reading that, I think I need to go back and punch those people.

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

-- Signed, with hate,
<a href="http://www.mylifeistwilight.com/">MLIT</a>