Posts by Jerry Martin19

goldenhound32 said:Not me. 🤷
Aside from that, I only managed to watch *Decameron*, and it’s actually quite good—regardless of whether you've actually sat down and read the book or not. It definitely delivers on the dark humor.

As for Fellini... I started watching Dolce Vita, but I couldn't bring myself to finish it. Nights of Cabiria was the same story. Just couldn't get through.
While *Amarcord* is perfectly fine, my personal favorite remains *8½*. It’s a dense, complex piece—certainly not an easy watch—but there is a profound beauty to it that the others just don't quite reach.

I don't particularly care for Fellini, though my assessment remains somewhat unformed given that I haven't sat through much of his filmography.

His lesser-known work, *Proba Orchestra*, remains an intriguing study. Over the course of seventy minutes, we are essentially observers of a rehearsal, watching the chaotic machinery of an orchestra unfold. It serves as a sharp examination of the various tribulations faced by musicians—and, perhaps more pointedly, by those tasked with managing the massive egos inherent in the profession: the conductors. At times, the piece leans into the humorous, yet it maintains a consistently intelligent, cerebral edge throughout.

8½ just didn't click for me. That whole setup about a director hitting a wall where his craft and his passion aren't lining up... it’s too heavy. Almost unwatchable at times. He nails the claustrophobia, the paranoia, and that desperate hunt for inspiration—especially in that opening dream sequence—but it feels like Fellini trapped himself in those vibes so hard that he drags the audience down with him. You aren't just uncomfortable; you're stuck in there, desperately looking for light at the end of a dark tunnel. Maybe that was the point, though. Maybe he wanted us to feel exactly what he was going through (8½ is largely autobiographical) to really drive home his experience. Still, I think Bergman handled this kind of thing better in Wild Strawberry. Okay, that's not strictly autobiographical either, but I see a parallel in how the protagonists "drift" through the narrative. What I liked about Bergman was that gentler, smoother way of storytelling; he’d step out of the structure to let us peek at the character's traumas and nightmares. With Fellini, it’s constant nervous energy and unsettling visions, leaving the viewer without any objective ground to stand on. If that was the goal, he pulled it off masterfully, but personally, it’s just not my speed... whether it's the film's temperament or something else, I can't say. One thing's for sure: 8½ is a respected work for a reason.

By the way, I actually dug La Strada. 🙂

p.s. This thread is supposed to be about Fellini 😁

Why didn't I start this thread myself? Because honestly, if you’re gonna kick off a discussion about a movie or a filmmaker, you should actually say something meaningful in the opening post instead of just asking "Have you seen La Dolce Vita? Let me know what you think." Especially when we're talking about movies that aren't even out yet—that's one thing. But when it comes to stuff that's already been released, particularly classics like this, they deserve way more than a couple of lazy sentences to get things moving...

Thanks for the links. I was already familiar with The Guardian and Roger Ebert, but these others will definitely come in handy. 🙂

Look, I know this is basically (okay, maybe not totally) spam, but I honestly don't know where else to ask. I searched for a thread about Dolac Vita or anything on Fellini in general and came up empty. I don't feel qualified enough to start my own topic either since I haven't actually seen the movie yet, and I definitely haven't seen enough Fellini to carry a discussion. I wouldn't even know what to say... So, what's the deal? I just started watching Dolac Vita and for some reason, I just can't stomach it. I quit after only thirty minutes. Maybe it’s just my mood right now, or maybe I’m just not ready for it, who knows... But I definitely want to read something about the film before I give it another shot, just so I don't make a snap judgment based on a total misunderstanding. I skimmed Wikipedia, but that stuff is way too formal. Long story short, can anyone drop a link to a decent review? 🙂

northerncrane4, this Satyricon isn't exactly a crowd-pleaser anyway 😁

Jeremy Diaz9 said:Anyway, let's not hold a grudge.
The bottom line is, playing editor for other people's comments never ends well; it always just ends up provoking someone into an argument.
Just look at where this thread has headed ever since you showed up with your "editing skills."
It’s particularly irritating when someone who is also illiterate tries to act like an editor.
You can claim you're perfectly literate, of course, but you aren't.
And I would never, ever nitpick about someone forgetting a space after a comma if you hadn't taken it upon yourself to correct others.
The same thing applied to Jason Campbell70.
And this thread itself is proof of that.
Let me repeat: whenever editors show up—whether they mean well or not—the whole discussion goes off the rails.
That's all there is to it.
As for how you write, frankly, I couldn't care less, as long as I can understand what you're trying to say.
Is that clear enough for you now?

feralmaker7 said:It isn't the correcting itself that gets under my skin—it's the attitude behind it. I wrote my first post because I simply wanted to share my perspective, and I didn't expect it to spiral into some massive debate. Am I perfectly literate? No—perfection doesn't exist—but I'm certainly not illiterate. And I wasn't "playing editor"; I was just expressing what bothers me and providing an example to make my point clearer. I don't consider that being a grammarian. I could easily list every mistake you made in this post right now, but I won't—because that's not what I do. That doesn't mean I don't notice them. At least you're putting spaces after your commas. 🙂

Glad you two smoothed things over so fast. Usually, these petty bickering matches turn into multi-day wars, but thank God you guys are reasonable. 🙂

Scarlett, Jeremy Diaz9 explained the point of the thread and why he feels the way he does. It isn't about whether your intentions were good or someone else's were bad (even though we mostly criticized those doing it with bad intentions); it's about the fact that correcting someone's grammar almost never stays on topic. It just spawns arguments, bickering, or more simply, ad hominem attacks and other garbage that has nothing to do with the actual discussion. I started this topic specifically so these things happen less often. For my own sake, and hopefully for everyone else's too...

p.s. regardless of grammar, good intentions are still good intentions. They might be misinterpreted, or have a negative cause (like this case), and sadly, they're becoming less accepted on this forum. Anyway, it's good to know there are still some users here you can actually talk to normally. 🙂

feralmaker7 said:I’m stepping up as the "intruder" here, using the post above to help clarify my point.
It doesn't bother me at all when people write with their local slang—like when folks from the South write exactly how they talk in real life—because I don't see that as a flaw. BUT, what really gets under my skin are posts like the one mentioned, where people try to write in formal, academic English but can't even spell basic words correctly. Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around how someone misses something so fundamental—it's a word used constantly, you see it everywhere, and I truly don't get how it can be unknown (and I'm sure this isn't just a typo from typing too fast). I've seen people write "receve" instead of "receive," or "definatly" instead of "definitely," and every single time, it makes my skin crawl to see how much literacy is slipping lately (speaking generally, of course). I'm not trying to insult anyone—I make mistakes too—and I'm not going around the internet correcting everyone because there's just too much of it. But if someone corrects me when I slip up, I don't mind it at all; in fact, I appreciate it because I actually care about communicating properly. It's especially grating when I see these kinds of errors in the newspapers or when highly educated professionals butcher the language. I don't get why people take offense—to me, it's perfectly logical that people would want to fix their mistakes (and stop repeating them) and learn something new (unless they're just boring). If they want to be wrong on purpose just because they can, fine. Just as some people hate being corrected, I hate it when people refuse to be corrected. Of course, I don't support insults like calling someone an "uneducated hillbilly"—because what good is knowing how to spell if you lack the decency to tell someone they're wrong in a polite way? (If you're going to say it, at least be civil).
P.S. The only thing that bugs me about regional dialects is when they add extra letters to verbs and turn them into something weird. Ugh!
So, that's my take. Try to see where I'm coming from.🙂

Caught me right while I was active... 😳

Look, I already admitted I mess up sometimes and I'm not ashamed of it. It's not that I don't know how to spell the word, it's just... a mistake. And as for your hair standing on end over it... Big deal. Who cares? My hair stands on end over plenty of things, so what now? 🤷

p.s. and yeah, why do you feel the need to correct someone you don't even know just because your hair stands on end? Like, what's the actual purpose? Not trying to be provocative, by the way... 🙂

@Jason Campbell70, he gave you links about Sebastian Vettel being the new world champion but you linked Ferrari ever or maybe never being world champions again?

@Jason Campbell70, the thread you linked isn't even where you're making those corrections 😉

edit: gotta add that I'm actually glad this argument—which has definitely gotten a bit personal—hasn't devolved into typical "you don't know anything" or "you're clueless" type of insults. You rarely see that here, and usually, these kinds of debates turn into a total mess that ends in warnings and bans. please, let's not ruin that part 🙂

@Jason Campbell70, just so we're clear. I wasn't listing your mistakes to bait you, I was just pointing out the kind of negative attitude toward other users that you seem to be backing up. You even said yourself that if someone can't distinguish basic spelling or grammar, they aren't competent on serious topics. That's just another unnecessary bias on your part. I've read plenty of brilliant people online who don't write like Shakespeare during a heavy debate, yet they're a blast to read—sometimes even more so than the folks forcing perfect academic English. Just because someone misses a character here or there doesn't mean they lack authority in a discussion. You tell who's actually qualified by the substance of their post, not how perfectly they construct every single sentence...

Jason Campbell70 said:Let's try this again...

Since I'm being attacked here, does anyone actually have examples to back up these claims?

Because what you're doing—pointing out my mistakes (which I admit I made)—is just blowing things out of proportion.

Look, there's no issue if someone happens to mention a typo.
The problem is when someone responds to a reasoned argument with nothing but "XYZ is spelled XyZ" (to paraphrase).
That deserves a reprimand.

It isn't just a casual correction.

Listen. The only place people should be correcting grammar is in some "grammar thread" (if that even exists here). In any other thread, people should have the freedom to write how they want. Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, should be calling out typos—mostly because it's just pure provocation, and 99% of the time, it has nothing to do with the actual discussion.

p.s. Examples? That guy gave you three "totally legit" examples of yours...😉

Jason Campbell70 said:First off—if an F1 forum user can't even spell the names of the drivers or the teams correctly, I don't consider them capable of having a high-quality discussion.

Second—I have never responded to a well-reasoned argument on a "serious" topic by saying:

"Learn how to spell 😛, then maybe get back to me"

Never.

There were times when I would give a reasoned response to someone's post and conclude by suggesting a term was misspelled.

And that bothers me for the exact reason mentioned above😉.

Exactly. In my humble opinion, there is no better indicator of someone's ignorance or lack of effort than using broken, phonetic slang while still trying to sound coherent.

In everyday conversation, I don't use formal English. But on a forum, I usually "force" myself to. Especially during a "serious" debate.

Does that make me a superman? Or just a more serious forum user?

Never.[/I]

Using "never" twice in one sentence—once in the middle and once at the end (which, by the way, starts with a capital letter for some paranormal reason). So, redundant. Still not sure how you consider yourself competent enough to join a debate I started...

p.s. get it now? That's why it was a pointless provocation. 🙂

Looks like Jeremy Diaz9's lesson and the explanations from other users weren't enough for you...

p.p.s. when a point is made via a bullet point, it doesn't end with a period (.).
If you need to separate it from another point, use a semicolon (;). 😉

edit: it's wild how fast you edited yourself once I pointed out the mistakes 🤣

Doesn't matter. There's plenty of evidence right at the bottom of your post. 😉

everything's already been said 🙏

Jason Campbell70 said:As far as I know, "American English" is taught in every single grade throughout elementary and high school.

If someone who uses a heavy regional dialect can still write properly on this forum—distinguishing between formal grammar and casual speech—then why shouldn't they? Like a typical New Yorker, for instance.

Because, in my humble opinion, the way people speak in New York is much closer to standard literary American English than the slang you might hear down in Florida.

Just because you've got a knack for something doesn't mean everyone else does. 🙂

In my opinion, the way people talk in NYC is way closer to standard American English than how they talk down in Miami.

I wouldn't go that far, but it's a whole different story altogether...

@ruggedfox28 I’m from the West Coast too, even though I usually stick to proper English (minus a few typos here and there, which I couldn't care less about), but sometimes I just get lazy and write chilln instead of chillm and if some kids want to lose their minds over one single letter, they can go ahead... no chance. Sometimes I'll even drop an entire paragraph in my local slang and honestly, I don't give a damn...

It hasn't happened to me in a while (miracle, I know), but if it does, I'll take hollowtrucker77's advice. And look, I'm reporting posts for trolling without any hard feelings—if someone's got nothing better to do than act like a troll, maybe they should just cool off and think about how they're wasting their precious time...

@Jeremy Diaz9, I'm with you on this one. If it means anything to you, 🙂

Look, here's the thing. It’s not a problem when someone calls out a typo during a serious, high-level debate. The issue is that trolls almost always weaponize grammar as an "argument," turning a standard discussion into a cheap ad hominem attack. They pull that move once they run out of actual points to make, just typing stuff like, "Look at this guy, he can't even spell XYZ correctly."

There’s another scenario where this happens too. It’s pretty stupid to lecture someone if, say, a guy from the Deep South insists on writing change instead of chang'n. Most of the time, they know exactly how it's spelled and said; they just feel more relaxed using their local dialect while typing. I mean, if some guy in America doesn't realize that chang'n is actually change, he basically needs a PhD just to understand regional slang...

If they didn't steal the wallet, how did he find all those documents without the actual wallet? 😕

p.s. go screw yourself 😬

Harold Garcia60 said:run to the cops to cancel everything and just reissue it all... guys in my class once swiped a priest's wallet... they even taped a picture of a donkey over his ID and just dumped it right where they found him... but they $133 kept the cash..🤣

that's just how it goes 🙏

forget the victim, everyone's looking for the payout 🙏

and hey, you've got cards, but from what I hear, there weren't any PINs in the wallet. so, zero profit there 🙂

p.s. just kidding. report the cards to the bank to freeze them and just deal with getting new IDs. i bet if someone saw an ID lying around, they'd probably try to reach out somehow... 🤷

Come on man, at least nobody lost any cash 😉

Just finished watching. Honestly, I'm feeling pretty split on this one. Like someone else mentioned earlier, the individual sequences hit hard, but the movie as a whole feels kind of surface-level. One of my biggest gripes was the character arc—or lack thereof. I’d pin that on Viggo Mortensen; he didn't just fail to transform the character from start to finish, he basically neutralized him. I can't seem to find any real perspective or depth there, and the more I think about it, the less I find, which just leaves me feeling indifferent. It wasn't a strong performance at all... honestly, looks like a lack of craft or just not "getting" the role. Third thing: for a Cronenberg film, there's a weird lack of atmosphere. With all this violence surrounding the characters, you'd expect some neuroticism or psychosis, but they just seem to be "going through the motions." You don't feel that inner agony. Maybe the score is off, or maybe it needs more diegetic sound—just some silence broken by natural noises like wind or a creaking door... whatever. It just lacks that sense of dread and anxiety given what these people are actually going through...

There are pros, though. The camerawork is solid, the action scenes work, and Ed Harris and William Hurt are great. Even the kid playing the son was alright... it's a decent enough movie, but the acting could have been much better. It feels hollow...

Rachel Sanchez11 said:Yeah, you could drag stuff like this out until the day after tomorrow...
But look, if five different people complain about the exact same behavior within three months—unless they're all in some weird conspiracy together—there's a massive chance that specific behavior actually exists...
Or maybe it's just a coincidence. I mean, I believe in coincidences, but I don't believe they happen by accident....

Here’s an example:
Topic 1

Topic 2

User comment on Topic 2

Another user's comment on the same topic

Response from a respected moderator....

And not a single admin showed up for any of these complaints to say, "Hey, maybe something isn't right here..."
And sorry for dragging up something that actually hurt my feelings and making me sound biased (and petty 😁), but everyone scratches where it itches, and honestly, I haven't been following the FBI lately so I don't have a bigger sample size to work with...

EDIT: I think I need to post this too...
When this happens, things go totally sideways and the mods are forced to hand out permanent bans...

It's not hard to find stupid complaints; the hard part is finding a justified complaint that actually serves the common good!

Oh, and I actually have a theory as to why admins don't punish the mods, but I probably shouldn't say it out loud...
😁

I agree that admins should look into cases where multiple users complain about the same moderator. If something is actually wrong—which it usually is if multiple people are flagging it—they should step in. But maybe the admins just miss the serious issues because they're buried under all these tasteless jokes. Then users complain that the FBI needs to be shut down because nothing ever gets fixed.🙄

1) They don't think anything is a problem, when in reality, it is.
2) Even when there is a problem, it gets ignored by the group mentioned in point number 1.

granitepilot2 said:I'd much rather see something like this: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkH8U...eature=related featuring all the uncensored nudity from the original Heavy Metal magazines...

Way too much sci-fi, not enough fantasy for Conan, but I'm with you on the nudity...😁