Red Letter Media

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Favorite recurring character? (Select 4)

  • Jack / AIDSMobdy

    Votes: 258 23.8%

  • Josh / the Wizard

    Votes: 77 7.1%

  • Colin (Canadian #1)

    Votes: 464 42.9%

  • Jim (Canadian #2)

    Votes: 231 21.3%

  • Tim

    Votes: 390 36.0%

  • Len Kabasinski

    Votes: 209 19.3%

  • Freddie Williams

    Votes: 276 25.5%

  • Patton Oswalt

    Votes: 28 2.6%

  • Macaulay Culkin

    Votes: 547 50.6%

  • Max Landis

    Votes: 65 6.0%
  • Total voters
    1,082
sneedem&feedem said:
he is in fact a blind hater cause despite throwing one last barb at the prequels, the sequels are left completely unscathed.
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Did we listen to the same clip? He said "The prequels are still shit" which is an acknowledgement that what they give us today is worse. He doesn't have to add "BUT THE SEQUELS ARE WORSE" at the end because it's implied.
 
I think Rich is the only one who is consistent with his opinions.

Prequels are shit and, just because Disney Wars became shit with tapeworms in it, doesn't make the tapewormless shit good.
There are some decent things in the prequels like the music or some action set pieces but that can be said about a lot of bad movies.
Yes, the idea of Palpatine rising to power through scheming and manipulation was good but the execution was horrible and it had plot holes everywhere, all of which were addressed in the Plinkett reviews.

To make a comparison:
I think Cube 2: Hypercube is a great idea, being trapped in a 4-dimensional object that is collapsing in on itself is ripe for exploration of ideas, visual storytelling, creepy atmosphere and genuine scares... but then you watch the movie and it's a piece of shit that isn't even good enough as a "so bad it's good" movie because half of it is a boring slog.

TFA is way better as a movie than the prequels.
It was just a rehash of ANH for Millenials but that doesn't make it bad, it just makes it mediocre, slightly better than mediocre since it's well made in terms of filmmaking, especially since Lucas spent 2 decades not directing anything and not writing anything beyond the initial story which was later improved by actual screenwriters (and he was never a good filmmaker himself, if we're being objective).

The main issue about Disney Wars is that, after JJ left for some reason, was led by people who either didn't give a shit about Star Wars or flat out hated it.
 
Mike made a Patreon post clearing things up in regards to the last video

On the Mandalorian and Grogu movie, I just wanted to say some things to clarify my thoughts a little. The movie seems to be divisive among fans of both Star Wars and movies in general. I think the issue here is that audiences, particularly younger-skewing audiences, are having a hard time differentiating between what is a story and what is entertainment. The line is starting to blur. To a lot of people (including Rich Evans) The Mandalorian and Grogu was entertaining. Entertaining is a very positive sounding word so if you didn’t like the movie something must be wrong with you! As Rich said, he’d put the movie on Disney+ and check out. In the past, people would refer to big summer blockbusters as “popcorn movies” to imply they were less than “real movies”. But the thing is summer “popcorn movies” of the past still contained the very basics of what makes a movie a movie. Mandalorian and Grogu barely does. A story must contain basic elements of drama to make it a story. Much like a cake needs the basic elements of baking: eggs, flour, salt, water, sugar etc… the audience needs to relate to or understand The Mandalorian on some basic level. I knew absolutely nothing about him or his personality. I didn't know what his wants or needs were. His goals? Or anything really for that matter. The stakes were non-existent or at the very worst, optional. Mandalorian goes on missions. For me to care one bit I needed to project myself into the movie like I was in the story. Why does he do what he does? Is there a greater goal that he’s trying to achieve? Conflict? Conflict isn’t Mandalorian literally conflicting with bad guys by walking into a room and eliminating them with ease (or a mild amount of effort in some scenes). Conflict can be betrayal, differing opinions, complications, impediments, arguments, or an opposing force constantly interfering with the main characters achieving their goals (of which you should want them to achieve). Larger overall stakes. What if Mandalorian doesn’t fulfill his mission? If at ANY point in this movie if Mandalorian just walked away from everything and said, “I’m done Grogu, let’s leave.” It would have made no difference to me whatsoever. So I’ve mentioned before that movies will eventually become theme park rides. This one is truly the first. I think, if this is ultimately a success, that will become more of a trend. A roller coaster is a thrilling, fun experience as well. A thrill ride doesn’t have a really strong plot or narrative either. If people enjoy a movie in that way that’s fine, but they need to be classified as either a Motion Picture or a Movie-Related Experience. We can work on the verbiage later.

In conclusion, and to clarify, a story isn’t: “I went to the grocery store and bought some groceries” a story is: “I had to go to the grocery store to get groceries because I was hosting a dinner party in three hours that I had forgotten about! The dinner party is filled with important clients that I must impress because my career and livelihood depend on it. When I got to the grocery story I found out they closed early. My time was running out so I went to a different grocery store farther away. I was delayed because my stupid car is doing that thing where it stalls out and in order to start it back up I have to get out and hit the hood really hard. Ugh, what a set up for later! When I got to the other grocery store I was just as I was about to check out when I noticed the group of clients had showed up at this very store to purchase a bottle of wine for the party! I followed them with my full cart and overheard one of them saying it was charming I was hosting this dinner party, but on Monday they were still going to fire me. My plans have changed (twist). I’m going to poison them with dinner. Not to kill them, but just to make them all sick. I saw them leaving and they were heading to my house! I tried to hurry to beat them there, but this comical elderly woman was taking forever at the self-check out!! I made it home in time (passing them in the H.O.V. lane by pilling up groceries and a cantaloupe in the passengers seat to appear as a person, just narrowly tricking a police officer. At home, I frantically started cooking when the guests arrived. I had my two high school-aged children entertain them while I cooked. My daughter is an honors student and my son is in a punk band and thinking of dropping out. There was an earlier scene where I stressed to them the importance of being honest and taking responsibility in their lives. I finished cooking the meal and put in PLENTY of laxative into their food (carefully avoiding my own food and my children’s food) after dinner was completed and being treated to a round of conversation that made all the important clients seem like assholes, they suddenly all died! One after another... faces in the plates. Dead. I explained to my children that I just wanted to make them crap their pants before they fired me! WHAT? My son used the laxative container to store the heroine for his whole band!? What!?! My daughter told me they were planning to PROMOTE me, not fire me?! I JUST MISUNDERSTOOD? AND WHAT?!!? My husband comes home in thirty minutes and he’s the CHIEF OF POLICE?!?!? We’ve got to bury these bodies. But what about my lessons in taking responsibility? No kids, you’re helping me! We’re going to put these people in the car they came in and drive it into a lake. Make it look like they all had a wild heroine party and crashed! If you don’t help me, girl can’t go to college and boy you’re out of your stupid band forever. AND NO ONE is telling Dad!! Also, son, we’ve got to get your hacker friend to wipe the grocery store security cameras asap!! Wait a minute. My daughter is acting weird. Though she is a devout vegan, she secretly ate a piece of meat off her brother's plate when no one was looking. The heroine is kicking in!!! Oh lord, not in addition to rigging the accident we have to take her to her brother's band's practice space where they have Narcan! Oh no, the car just stalled again... WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IN THIS STORY!?!?!? - Mike S.
 
This is a bit of a call back but I'll post this now before I forget.

I had this video in the background while I was typing my earlier post:
Is it just me or was this entire video inspired by the conversation we were having just a few days ago?
Several point we have made are in it and the timing is suspicious as well.

OK, Filmento! Identity yourself!
What's your account on KF?
 
PyrrhicRustle said:
Mike made a Patreon post clearing things up in regards to the last video
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That whole post is giving me flashbacks to previous autism fights on this very board.

Mike's right. But it is frustrating not needing to teach people media literacy, but basic story concepts.

It feels like trying to explain to a child why they can't eat junk food all the time. How do you explain nutrition and health to someone who can't understand those things? "I like it, how can it be bad?"
 
Beelzebub's Lawyer said:
This is a bit of a call back but I'll post this now before I forget.

I had this video in the background while I was typing my earlier post:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Krjud-71CxAIs it just me or was this entire video inspired by the conversation we were having just a few days ago?
Several point we have made are in it and the timing is suspicious as well.

OK, Filmento! Identity yourself!
What's your account on KF?
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I'm not going to argue Bright is great (though i think a lot of complaints are autism and failing sally-anne tests), but I'd still watch it over the prequels or sequels.

. . .

Well maybe not Revenge of the Sith. That one is still better.
 
Well Intentioned said:
RLM is like that as well, but they don't really care about craft, they just want to be entertained in a very specific way,
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I disagree with them not caring about the craft, they're film makers themselves and have done entire videos about their own special effects in their movies/videos, granted they haven't done many big skits in the past few years since they got older. Also they collect movie props from Gremlins, Star Trek etc. They even cut in footage of the stop motion special effect in the Mando and Grogu video to clarify it was a practical effect and not just CGI like they said in their discussion, which I doubt they would do if they didn't care about it.
 
Andy Soying Out said:
I disagree with them not caring about the craft, they're film makers themselves and have done entire videos about their own special effects in their movies/videos, granted they haven't done many big skits in the past few years since they got older. Also they collect movie props from Gremlins, Star Trek etc. They even cut in footage of the stop motion special effect in the Mando and Grogu video to clarify it was a practical effect and not just CGI like they said in their discussion, which I doubt they would do if they didn't care about it.
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I should clarify I meant the craft of storytelling/writing, not necessarily filmmaking. They appreciate a lot of shit on BotW that is objectively bad but uses practical effects. You could argue that is part and parcel for filmmaking, and sure, but I don't think they really care about the narrative elements beyond a very specific take on it, see Mike's rambling post -- he identifies that conflict is part of a narrative and what makes a story, but it is in a very specific lens, and ignores other details like personal turmoil/struggle as another important element in a good story, unless he included that in the rambling synopsis he gave. Also, how Mike/Rich tend to dislike avant garde/'different' type films that don't have a traditional narrative structure (although Jay does seem to appreciate/like that stuff. Beardfat is a retard so I don't account for his thoughts on things.)
 
BubbleButt said:
I think Mike means conflict in the paradigm of "person vs person" "person vs environment" and "person vs self" kind of stuff.
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Yeah, that's one element to a narrative: conflict/tension. There's things he's missing, though, and that post is like the first time I've ever really seen him address other elements (motivation, stakes, etc.)

But then you look at his second paragraph and it kind of goes back to a very specific plot formula that he tends to use for all of his hypothetical movie pitches. It's what I mean about his preferences being very specific. There's nothing wrong with that, like what you like (as long as it isn't child pornography, etc.), it's just a funny quirk I've noticed with him.

I'd love for Rich to challenge Mike to come up with a plot that doesn't involve getting a promotion at work/impressing the boss/getting the big client/etc, because he is incredibly fond of permutations of that particular plot device.
 
Beelzebub's Lawyer said:
There are some decent things in the prequels like the music
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The music is not just "decent", it's an objective improvement over the originals' music. Williams had an actual idea of what the hell the ending of the story was going to be and where each character was going to go, leading to a masterpiece of a score that didn't suffer from the issues that the original had (Mainly the abandoning of certains motifs or recontextualization of what the motifs were actually meant to represent due to the story taking turns that Williams didn't expect). The end result is a much more cohesive score that is able to do some really cool stuff across those 3 movies.


I do enjoy the prequels myself (I don't think they're masterpieces, but I don't think the originals are either), but even if you consider everything about them to be total shit. Don't brush away Williams' work as just "decent". It's by far the highlight and I would consider the prequels' score my single favorite thing in the whole franchise
 
FPTMIU said:
The music is not just "decent", it's an objective improvement over the originals' music. Williams had an actual idea of what the hell the ending of the story was going to be and where each character was going to go, leading to a masterpiece of a score that didn't suffer from the issues that the original had (Mainly the abandoning of certains motifs or recontextualization of what the motifs were actually meant to represent due to the story taking turns that Williams didn't expect). The end result is a much more cohesive score that is able to do some really cool stuff across those 3 movies.
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Or maybe it's because for the prequels, he wasn't just ripping off Mahler, Holst, and Korngold.

He was probably ripping off more varied sources that time around.

Jokes (and believable accusations, which I'm serious about) aside, what you said about his knowledge of the story influencing the score reminded me of this video about how misleading the sequels soundtrack ends up being, precisely because he had no idea what the story would be, because the writers and directors didn't know what the story would be either.

 
Nick Obre said:
he wasn't just ripping off Mahler, Holst, and Korngold.
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By this same logic, those three were copying Beethoven, who was copying Mozart and Haydn. Composers have always taken inspiration from those who came before, nothing Williams does would be considered "ripping off" by anyone before draconian copyright faggotry took over the world of art.
TheMonkeyMan said:
I like the prequel scores a lot but this track (which is pretty well known for being a remix of Palpatine's theme from ROTJ) is really derivative of Philip Glass' Serra Pelada from Powaqqatsi.
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As said before, just because something is taking an idea from something else does not mean it is a lesser work for it. In this case, it's more likely a direct reference to this work. Likely, when trying to write a festive version of the Emperor's theme, he got reminded of this piece when writing the melody and decided to directly reference it with the instrumentation in a similar fashion to Lucas's habit of quoting other films.
 
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