What are you watching On TV right now 2

[Elsa TLC]

I found a Chanel on the TV that had a few older films on which wasn't too bad, the great escape

did they escape?

and Home alone,

Parents should have been arrested and Kevin put in care the after it happened the 2nd time.

apart from those two the telly has been the worst xmas ever. Nothing on that interested me at all.

Crap most of it.

Watch Man vs baby: Rowan Atkinson. See if yoy last the first episode.

 

[pete01]

Elvis the movie (2022)

 

[blup]

Watching the Elvis biopic with Elvis played by Austin Butler, really well acted, not the usual impression of an impression.

 

[MNW67]

Starship Troopers. At heart, a coruscating satire on the seductive nature of fascism and militarism.

 

[Brigadier]

Starship Troopers. At heart, a coruscating satire on the seductive nature of fascism and militarism.

With tits.

 

[MNW67]

A very misunderstood film when first released. Here is a bit of Googling for context:

AI Overview

Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film Starship Troopers uses satire and alluring aesthetics to depict the "seductive nature of fascism," highlighting how an authoritarian society can appear desirable and just. The film was intentionally designed to critique the ideology by making its fascist world seem superficially appealing, thereby manipulating the audience into initially identifying with it.

Key Elements Depicting the Seductive Nature of Fascism

• Aesthetic Appeal: The film uses a polished, high-tech aesthetic, including sleek military uniforms and advanced technology, that is visually appealing. The Federation emblem resembles the Nazi Reich eagle, and the dress uniforms evoke those worn by the Wehrmacht and SS, leveraging a powerful, albeit sinister, visual language.
• Propaganda as Entertainment: The narrative is frequently interrupted by propaganda "newsreels" (e.g., "Would you like to know more?") that mimic real-world techniques, including those from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will. These segments present a one-sided, jingoistic view of the war, framed as entertaining and factual.
• Promise of Utopia and Equality: The Federation presents itself as a successful, utopian society that has achieved racial and gender equality and eliminated poverty. This desirable social structure acts as a veneer, masking the underlying authoritarianism where political power is earned only through military service and a willingness to use violence.
• Dehumanization of the Enemy: The film encourages hatred of the alien "Arachnids" by consistently referring to them as "bugs" and depicting them as an unthinking, existential threat. This dehumanization makes the impulse to hate and destroy them seem logical and just, a core tactic of fascist propaganda used to justify extreme violence and genocide.
• The Appeal of Community and Purpose: The main characters find fulfillment, adventure, and strong bonds of friendship within the military. The narrative taps into the universal desire for belonging and a higher purpose, suggesting that this can be found within the rigid structure of a fascist state.

The film's success in portraying this seductive quality is precisely what made some initial viewers and critics misinterpret it as a genuine endorsement of the depicted ideology. The filmmakers intended the film to be a stark warning that in times of strife, fascism can appear as a sensible and desirable option.

 

[pete01]

A very misunderstood film when first released. Here is a bit of Googling for context:

AI Overview

Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film Starship Troopers uses satire and alluring aesthetics to depict the "seductive nature of fascism," highlighting how an authoritarian society can appear desirable and just. The film was intentionally designed to critique the ideology by making its fascist world seem superficially appealing, thereby manipulating the audience into initially identifying with it.

Key Elements Depicting the Seductive Nature of Fascism

• Aesthetic Appeal: The film uses a polished, high-tech aesthetic, including sleek military uniforms and advanced technology, that is visually appealing. The Federation emblem resembles the Nazi Reich eagle, and the dress uniforms evoke those worn by the Wehrmacht and SS, leveraging a powerful, albeit sinister, visual language.
• Propaganda as Entertainment: The narrative is frequently interrupted by propaganda "newsreels" (e.g., "Would you like to know more?") that mimic real-world techniques, including those from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will. These segments present a one-sided, jingoistic view of the war, framed as entertaining and factual.
• Promise of Utopia and Equality: The Federation presents itself as a successful, utopian society that has achieved racial and gender equality and eliminated poverty. This desirable social structure acts as a veneer, masking the underlying authoritarianism where political power is earned only through military service and a willingness to use violence.
• Dehumanization of the Enemy: The film encourages hatred of the alien "Arachnids" by consistently referring to them as "bugs" and depicting them as an unthinking, existential threat. This dehumanization makes the impulse to hate and destroy them seem logical and just, a core tactic of fascist propaganda used to justify extreme violence and genocide.
• The Appeal of Community and Purpose: The main characters find fulfillment, adventure, and strong bonds of friendship within the military. The narrative taps into the universal desire for belonging and a higher purpose, suggesting that this can be found within the rigid structure of a fascist state.

The film's success in portraying this seductive quality is precisely what made some initial viewers and critics misinterpret it as a genuine endorsement of the depicted ideology. The filmmakers intended the film to be a stark warning that in times of strife, fascism can appear as a sensible and desirable option.

Just watch the film man.....

 

[crystal ball]

Likely Lads Christmas special,Thelma dressed as Peter Pan, cracking set of pins

 

[blup]

Starship Troopers. At heart, a coruscating satire on the seductive nature of fascism and militarism.

What a pathetic fallacy

 

[MNW67]

What a pathetic fallacy

That's a weirdly strong reaction. There is loads of information out there about this film and how it came to be misinterpreted on release. The main problem was that the studio marketed it as a straight forward action film. So, both the audiences and many critics thought it was a bit rubbish, because it didn't really match up to what they were expecting e.g. the characters were intentionally one dimensional and rather dull. It is now recognised as a very intelligent and prescient satire, especially bearing in mind the way the world is going. I've never actually been a fan. I find many satirical films quickly get boring. But if you watch it again, knowing what it is really about, you will probably see it in a different light.

Another Google AI comparing it to the classic Robocop by the same director:

AI Overview

RoboCop
was more successful than Starship Troopers due to better alignment between its explicit action narrative and its underlying social commentary, a clearer emotional hook for the audience, and a better theatrical release strategy. Starship Troopers, conversely, was widely misunderstood as a "brainless" sci-fi action movie at the time of its release.

Audience and Critical Reception

• RoboCop: While also a satire of corporate capitalism and the media, its core narrative features a sympathetic and tragic hero, Alex Murphy, whose loss of humanity provides an emotional connection for the audience. This narrative was more accessible and the social commentary was generally better understood by contemporary critics, including Roger Ebert, who praised the "pointed social satire". It was a box office success, though it faced some mixed reviews at the time.
• Starship Troopers: The film was widely misunderstood by critics and audiences in 1997. Its satire of fascism and militarism was so sharp and integrated into the film's tone that most viewers took it at face value, seeing only a "lurid spectacle" of a "nonstop splatter-fest". The intentionally wooden acting and stereotypical characters (cast to look like an Aryan ideal) further confused audiences who expected a standard blockbuster with relatable protagonists. It received a poor C+ CinemaScore exit rating from audiences.

 

[blup]

That's a weirdly strong reaction.

I don't know the film, a pathetic fallacy is a phrase I came across recently, not a criticism

 

[Highway Man]

Elvis the movie (2022)

what did you think to it?

 

[MNW67]

I don't know the film, a pathetic fallacy is a phrase I came across recently, not a criticism

OK. I hadn't heard of it before. I saw "fallacy" (a flaw in reasoning) together with "pathetic", and it sounded like a rather strong criticism. But apparently it is actually a literary device:

AI Overview

Pathetic fallacy is a literary device where human emotions, feelings, or actions are attributed to inanimate objects, animals, or nature (especially the weather) to create mood, reflect a character's internal state, or add vividness. Coined by John Ruskin, it's a form of personification focused specifically on giving human feelings to the non-human world, like "the angry sea" or "the sun smiled".

 

[Dec27]

It’s like dead poets society in here.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The Christmas tv has been shyte

Better, when there was less choice/fewer channels. Now the audience is spread thinner, the money for quality is spread thinner too.