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Old movies - 4/28/2009 10:12:12 AM

Termyn8or

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As said, I don't like much of what they're spewing now. One came to mind though, probably made in the early seventies.

The Happening. Theme by Diana Ross, many people know the song but few know about the movie.

The recap : A businessman, the set and setting has the NYC look and feel. He is not quite sqeaky clean but is a good guy. He has a bunch of money and has helped alot of people, loaning them money to start businesses and so forth. Well one day he gets kidnapped by a group of thugs and nobody he called would come up with the ransom.

As the gang starts getting the idea that they are flogging a dead horse, I think considering killing him or just letting him go, the guy snaps. He gets pissed off and stands up and takes over the gang. Together they go and rob everyone they called who refused to cough up any cash. This includes his Wife. At the end of the movie they are sitting there and he is looking at the pile of loot, and is not happy. He says something like "I have nothing".

"Rosebud", I believe it was the last word out of a dying Man's mouth in IIRC the movie Citizen Kane. For years people tried to figure out what that meant.

For those who have seen I Come In Peace, do you really grasp the level of criticism for the US government that movie holds ? They did a bit more than imply that they would allow the People to become a cash crop, just so they could get their hands on more technology.

I really don't know what the point of all this is, but also, many have seen The Day The Earth Stood Still. A flying saucer lands and what is the first reaction. The military is called in to surround the vessel and the shoot Klatoo as he tries to hand someone a gift. That about makes sense, that is our level of paranoia.

And having studied psychology, I have noted that most people think others are just like them. Since we thought the alien was here to attack and kill us we responded accordingly. However anyone with common sense could tell you that if they can get here, they could have already wreaked havoc upon the Earth with their superior technology. But because we, deep down are killers and will kill anything that does not or cannot kill us, we think everybody is the same.

Then they did a switchup in like Alien Nation, where the aliens are welcomed into our society. As if things have changed. Do you think for one second that a flying saucer landing on Earth would not result in a military response ? If so, I suggest you return from whatever planet on which you have been living. And what kind of stupid shit is that ? Gort proved our weapons to be useless against their technology, which was bound to happen.

Am I finding human nature in fiction, or fiction in human nature ?

Do we innately fear that which is stronger than us ? And if so, what motivation could there be for this notion except for the fact that many, whether admitting it or not, believe that might makes right ? With such a mindset, anything or anyone mightier instantly is considered a threat, no matter what the circumstances.

Do my observations make any sense here ?

T

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 10:33:34 AM

kittinSol

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

Am I finding human nature in fiction, or fiction in human nature ?

Human nature is fiction.

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 10:54:05 AM

ThatDamnedPanda

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

Am I finding human nature in fiction, or fiction in human nature ?

Do we innately fear that which is stronger than us ? And if so, what motivation could there be for this notion except for the fact that many, whether admitting it or not, believe that might makes right ? With such a mindset, anything or anyone mightier instantly is considered a threat, no matter what the circumstances.

Of course we instinctively fear anything we think is stronger than us. It's billions of years of evolution. "If it's smaller than you, kill it and eat it. If it's bigger than you, run away." It's not a question of whether we believe might makes right, it's simple survival. It's human nature, irrevocably encoded into out DNA, and if you look closely enough, you'll see it reflected a hundred times a day, in every aspect of human behavior and interaction. From movies right down to the way we greet strangers on the street.

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 11:01:19 AM

Termyn8or

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Yes Panda but it was also natural for us to be tribal, seperatist and xenophobic. Many have grown out of that stage, so what about this ? How long will it take until we can be rational rather than assuming the strong are the enemy, or even that they only became strong to be an effective enemy ?

And will the human race survive long enough to evolve past this ?

T

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 11:13:17 AM

fluffypet61

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"Rosebud" was the name on the sled he played with as a child. At the beginning of the movie the camera focused on it for a moment. For some reason i remembered it when it was mentioned at the end of the movie.

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 11:23:24 AM

ThatDamnedPanda

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

Yes Panda but it was also natural for us to be tribal, seperatist and xenophobic. Many have grown out of that stage, so what about this ?

Have we? You're a patriotic man, aren't you? What's patriotism, if not tribalism? Name one global or regional conflict in the history of the human race that was rooted in anything other than separatism, tribalism, and/or xenophobia. Tribalism, separatism, and xenophobia are all different sides of the same coin, the instinctive urge we feel to band together with others we feel are similar to us so that the "tribe" can defend itself against people who are different from us, and it manifests itself in almost everything we do as a people.

And I'm not criticizing that - it's a very useful evolutionary adaptation. It's how we're programmed to risk our own safety in order to defend people who may not necessarily be closely related to us, but may still share our DNA. This is what inspires some of the most noble and altruistic of all human actions. But the downside of it is, it leads to some of the most hateful and despicable events in human history. Many of us have evolved intellectually and spiritually to the point where we're able to set those instincts aside and act philanthropically in most of our personal interactions, but when push comes to shove even the most decent and compassionate of us will choose people they don't know - but who live in their community, or share other common interests - over people on the other side of the world. Almost every time.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or
How long will it take until we can be rational rather than assuming the strong are the enemy, or even that they only became strong to be an effective enemy ?

We're able to assume that right now, and act in accordance with that assumption. We do it all the time, in situations where it feels safe to do so.

But the instinctive fear of things that are stronger than us? Never. You can't reprogram DNA. That fear will always be present in our subconscious, and we'll always be reflecting and exploring that fear in movies and novels. Which is really nothing more than a healthy way of learning to understand our own fears, so that we can learn ways of not letting them control us so often.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Termyn8or

And will the human race survive long enough to evolve past this ?

I can't think of a single reason to expect that it can.

< Message edited by ThatDamnedPanda -- 4/28/2009 11:25:50 AM >

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RE: Old movies - 4/28/2009 11:47:05 AM

Termyn8or

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"I can't think of a single reason to expect that it can."

I tend to agree.

However, and I don't mean this in a challenging manner, just throwing it out there. I am reminded of when our cat Uggy was a lil kitten. Well he was suddenly introduced to a huge great dane we had to dogsit for a bit, and find a new home. Uggy batted her, surely playing because she did not claw him, right in the snout too. She responded by licking Uggy which sent him for a loop, about three times over IIRC. He came back for more. He then slept at her side, I guess they were friends.

Now we are talking about a kitten that you could pick up with one hand, and a dog that wouldn't fit in the backseat of some cars, and cars were bigger then. In fact this dog jumped off a second story porch with absolutely no ill effects or injury of any type. It was just that someone she liked was coming up the front walk and she wanted to greet him.

We have done quite well raising cats over the years, they were always friendly and playful, but at this time Uggy was very young and pretty much running on instinct.

How does that fit in ?

T

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RE: Old movies - 4/29/2009 9:55:36 AM

pahunkboy

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Well- All I can say is that cat is still alive.

I am holding Jims cat - so Jenny can then take it. I was trying to sleep and this cat had ideas that he must eat. I never seen a cat so hungry and at the same time so stubborn!
She is too good to go onto the back enclosed porch to eat. I cant catch then darned thing.

1st the parrot was jealous.

A cat should happen to be here. NOT be my whole reason to be alive!!!!

At this hour the cat is still alive. More later-

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RE: Old movies - 4/29/2009 11:41:37 AM

ienigma777

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Termy.....what the hell are you talking about?? Cats, Dogs or Old Movies??

Once movies were considered an art form; the direction, the lighting, the overall staging of the images, the story, yes, imagine that...once movies had stories to go along with the acting and filming.

European movies still tell stories, actors who are in appearances 'normal' looking people. American moviemaking, now, is computer special effects. It is mundainess and entertaining, no thinking involved.

The Keanu Reeves 'THe Day the Earth Stood Still' beautifully blue screen filmed filled with nice Computer generated special effects; it's story was mundainely presented with no emotional tie in, meaning, while the overall novel story was intended to send a message, this movie version left the viewer...blah.

John Sayles produced some thought provoking films, one was 'Men With Guns', his stuff was low budget, unknown actors, and very, very good.
Goggle John Sayles.

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