#335

I object to your framing of my argument. I didn’t slag off the Sopranos for being sexist I merely pointed out it’s intensely sexist and is thus hard to watch, given it lasts 90+ hours.

(I’d also point out that Arnie’s character most definitely regrets what he does and his endangerment of his wife is because of him trying to make amends. No character on the Sopranos ever actually grows much, if at all, in terms of understanding their behaviour is awful.)

#336

He endangers his wife by making her strip for him, believing she’s in danger if she doesn’t. It’s gross. He doesn’t really make up for anything, he just kills a lot of people.

There’s no redemptive arc in The Sopranos, but does it need one? I don’t need TV characters to be morally good or ultimately fixed for the better. It’s racial diversity is shit, granted, but I struggle with calling the show sexist when you have characters like Carmella, Meadow and Melfi.

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#337

Bruce Willis has done us all here:

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#338

This is definitely the worst discussion we’ve ever had about films/TV :smiley:

But just to be clear I said:

I definitely struggled to get through The Sopranos because of the weight of violence, sexism and racism it had.

I mean yeah the show is sexist but in a way that most TV tends to be, i.e. male gaze etc. But it has huge amounts of sexism in it and just because it has great female characters in doesn’t stop it also being a tough watch. See also The Handmaid’s Tale which is really fucking brutal to watch.

My comment was really to furryfan because I wasn’t sure how he was classifying it but he made the point and I accepted that.

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#339

The comedy roast is the joint 3rd worst medium for comedy (tied with musical comedy, behind impressionists and ventriloquists)

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#340

I have never really heard of it but I am happy to take your word for it based on other similar US TV I have seen.

#341

Coen Brothers have only ever made one film thats above average (Raising Arizona)

About A Boy is probably the best comedy film ever made

#342

It’s just famous people insulting another famous person in a tedious backslappy and literally never funny way

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#343

When people incredulously point out that The Wicker Man (Cageless version) was poorly received on initial release, that’s not because people in the past were stupid. It’s because the film is complete shit. The best thing about it is his little seaplane.

For ten years John McTiernan was the best director in the world.

The only decent part of Kill List was the opening scenes with Tyres from out of Spaced. Whole thing would’ve been much better if it was a deadpan comedy about depressed Northern hitmen.

#344

Yep.

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#345

Could you depict the mob without it being profoundly sexist, violent and racist? Probably not. I understand why people find mafia films/series particularly uncomfortable, because it’s obvious that for many the leads are unironically icons, to be stuck up on walls and admired, more so than almost any other type of anti-hero. It’s also fair to say that the mafia is vastly over-portrayed in media, and question the creators’ motives in producing more of it.

The Sopranos though is at pains to portray the men as extremely dim dinosaurs who struggle outside of the bubble they’ve created for themselves, who have no sense of honor or duty towards the community whatsoever. The fact other men idolise them is because some men are also just very stupid, and also want to be a fat, unattractive middle-aged guy who fucks a lot.

#346

I’m not saying don’t make the Sopranos.

I mean this is off the back of it being called racist and my immediate thought of “yeah, it’s about racists”.

Really I just always feel people state the Sopranos is amazing as if it’s just good telly and I was making it clear I also think it’s really tough TV to sit through as well, something I don’t think is stated enough.

#347

as you infer, there can be a difference between depicting racist characters and a show being racist. I think sopranos crosses the line. can anyone make a defense of the scene with the closeup of tony’s face, using a phone- technology, looking disgusted as a black guy shits behind him?

#348

might be the most white supremacist imagery I’ve ever seen in a drama

#349

NO!!

#350

Floyd from True Romance is still Brad Pitt’s best role.

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#353

Theo is correct. 1 >>>>>>3>>>>4>>>2>>>>>>>getting your heart carved out with a rusty spoon while you watch >>>>>>>>> 5

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#355

that film that someone posted a trailer of earlier with the inbetweeners guy at a festival is probably pretty funny.

suck it.

#356

I :heart: yuggy

Tho, I wouldn’t say it’s a b-movie :thinking: what exactly makes something a b-movie? Like a film that wasn’t out at the cinema? Tell me! TELL ME @xylo I can’t be bothered to ask google.

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#357

In the olden days, films would be shown in double-bills, the first one would be generally shorter and lower budget, the b-movie. Yer main film was the a-movie.

They stopped doing this in the early 80’s though, I remember the odd b-movie from my youth but not many. The term persists and the later equivalent would be ‘straight to video/DVD’ or in modern terms straight to streaming. You could refer to those SYFY / Mockbuster type films as b-movies - Sharknado, and the like.

1 Like