Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

If you're looking for some documentaries, I’d suggest checking out Citizenfour and Art and Craft.

Citizenfour

A documentary following a filmmaker and a journalist as they head to Hong Kong for their initial encounters with Edward Snowden.

Art and Craft

The story of what happens when one of the most successful art counterfeiters in American history is finally caught, forcing him to face the consequences of a thirty-year deception.

http://www.nytimes.com/story/our-investigation-into-the-fbi/1300823/

You might find this piece in the New York Times quite compelling; it really is an excellent read.

We’re looking at a fairly straightforward riddle here, one that isn't some sort of psychological trap, but rather a question that most captured serial killers would actually answer correctly if they were asked

A woman attended her mother's funeral and spotted a man in the crowd she had never laid eyes on before. He struck her as the absolute perfect partner, and she found herself falling for him instantly, right then and there. However, she had no way of contacting him and no clue how to track down his phone number. A few days later, she ended up murdering her own sister.

The question is: What was her motive for killing her sister?

The answer (spoiler)

She was hoping the man would show up at the next funeral.

It’s almost too simple—once again, we're just handing everything over on a silver platter 🍿
...

Walter Grant5 said:Fair point. Still a pretty extreme analogy, though. Comparing a literature professor to someone who just likes movies—it's a stretch.

And "must-read" or "must-see" is basically just some sacred cow. Like, "you're a loser if you haven't seen this..." Well, newsflash, maybe I haven't. So what if I haven't seen The Shawshank Redemption? No big deal.

It wasn't meant to be one big analogy, just a pile of examples of things you "have" to do. Some hit closer to the mark than others—like the professor or the bard. It’s like saying a lemon is a better example of yellow than a banana; they're both yellow, regardless. Anyway, for anyone even slightly curious about cinema as an art form, there are definitely essentials. You really should see *Citizen Kane*. Not like, right this second, but eventually. That's what a "must see" means.

Keith Miller30 said:We’re looking at a fairly straightforward riddle here, one that isn't some sort of psychological trap, but rather a question that most captured serial killers would actually answer correctly if they were asked

A woman attended her mother's funeral and spotted a man in the crowd she had never laid eyes on before. He struck her as the absolute perfect partner, and she found herself falling for him instantly, right then and there. However, she had no way of contacting him and no clue how to track down his phone number. A few days later, she ended up murdering her own sister.

The question is: What was her motive for killing her sister?

The answer (spoiler)

She was hoping the man would show up at the next funeral.

It’s absolute bullshit.

Peter Thompson4 said:Look, there’s absolutely a "must-see" category for a reason, and it’s not some elitist way to mock you or whatever, it’s just meant to be a roadmap.
It’s honestly no different than if you didn't know your basic geography, like which major US cities are capitals or even where the continents are located.

And honestly, trying to compare us to people living thousands of years ago is just plain ridiculous; obviously, our general knowledge base is massive compared to them, and having some fundamental baseline is important, but just because you haven't seen *The Godfather* doesn't mean you're uncultured or haven't watched a ton of great cinema, it just means you haven't seen that specific movie yet.

Matthew Anderson4 said:It wasn't meant to be one big analogy, just a pile of examples of things you "have" to do. Some hit closer to the mark than others—like the professor or the bard. It’s like saying a lemon is a better example of yellow than a banana; they're both yellow, regardless. Anyway, for anyone even slightly curious about cinema as an art form, there are definitely essentials. You really should see *Citizen Kane*. Not like, right this second, but eventually. That's what a "must see" means.

What I was actually getting at is this stupid phenomenon where people constantly point at "must-sees." You follow all these guides and realize they're useless because everyone just points at their own favorites until the list is bloated and meaningless. For one person, *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* is essential; for another, it's *The Dark Knight*. If everything is a "must," then nothing is, and the whole concept falls apart. And no, it’s not like knowing the capital cities of major countries.

Why make things so complicated?

If you really appreciate cinema as an art form, maybe you should just try making your own. I guess there's no point in being passive and just watching what everyone else puts out there, whether it's mainstream movies or adult films.

Once again, he’s turning himself into Tina's biggest advocate 🤦

brightpilot6 said:Once again, he’s turning himself into Tina's biggest advocate 🤦

Man, some people just don't get it.

Walter Grant5 said:What I was actually getting at is this stupid phenomenon where people constantly point at "must-sees." You follow all these guides and realize they're useless because everyone just points at their own favorites until the list is bloated and meaningless. For one person, *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* is essential; for another, it's *The Dark Knight*. If everything is a "must," then nothing is, and the whole concept falls apart. And no, it’s not like knowing the capital cities of major countries.

If you listen to every random person, what's the point? Personally, I don't think "must-see" should be based on someone's taste. It should be about impact. Since *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* is nearly a century old, its narrative structure makes it an easy "must-see." Whether I personally love it or not shouldn't matter—and if it does, you probably shouldn't be taking my advice anyway.

But that’s if we’re talking about art. We shouldn't even be going there. A person should just say what they're into. If they dig zombies, then Romero's original is a must-see, not because it's "cool" to me, but because it defined the genre. Doesn't mean they have to watch it right this second, though; just put it on a list. If they're into long shots and cinematography, then Tarkovsky is a must-see. See how those guidelines fall apart? If the issue is the word must, we could easily just come up with a new term 🤷

Whatever. People can say whatever they want, just like I do. I’m just calling it like I see it with these "must-watch" lists flying around. I don't listen to them even 2% of the time. Doesn't mean I won't check out a movie eventually, obviously. But when a group gets all worked up over some title and you feel like an idiot just because you haven't seen it yet... it's like watching toddlers brag about some new toy. Guidelines are fine and all, but they don't mean squat when people start getting aggressive about it. It's basically just a way to talk trash.

To be honest, I’ve gone my entire life without ever having tried a kebab. I haven't even touched calamari. And if you're wondering whether it's something you absolutely have to eat to live? Well, you certainly don't. ☕

Walter Grant5 said:Whatever. People can say whatever they want, just like I do. I’m just calling it like I see it with these "must-watch" lists flying around. I don't listen to them even 2% of the time. Doesn't mean I won't check out a movie eventually, obviously. But when a group gets all worked up over some title and you feel like an idiot just because you haven't seen it yet... it's like watching toddlers brag about some new toy. Guidelines are fine and all, but they don't mean squat when people start getting aggressive about it. It's basically just a way to talk trash.

Fair point. But does that actually change the impact—you know, the only thing that really matters—of a movie? Does some little clique of hipsters making fun of people for missing certain flicks actually affect cinema as an art form? Honestly, if some random guy can ruin everything just by mentioning it, then I don't know, chill out with the pointless rebellion. Meditate on it. Who cares. Next time you're stuck in that spot, just say you haven't seen The Godfather and watch them scramble to try and outsmart you.

So, some movies I still haven't gotten around to: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Goodfellas, Scarface, Predator...

Matthew Anderson4 said:So, some movies I still haven't gotten around to: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Goodfellas, Scarface, Predator...

There's no need to get worked up on my account, as I've actually only seen Scarface from that entire list. ☕

It’s not like movies put food on your table or anything. I guess most films are basically just a way to kill some free time. They help you unwind, and maybe—just maybe—you pick up something useful here and there, but at the end of the day, it’s all just entertainment. I suppose art in general is pretty much that—kind of like a nice little extra in an otherwise busy life. But honestly, it would be pretty wild if I started judging you just because you haven't seen Goodfellas.

Why don't we put together a list of films that might be worth a watch? I won't go out of my way to suggest any absolute "must-sees," just to keep this discussion from spiraling too far into heavy debates.

The Shawshank Redemption
The Blind Side
The Intouchables

A Prophet

Personally, I think I just need documentaries from the BBC—well, more specifically, their series.

1) BBC - Blue Planet
2) BBC - Planet Earth
3) Michael Palin - Pole to Pole

As for scripted shows, I don't really have any recommendations. I've watched plenty, but I guess I just appreciate it most when they focus on the real world; sci-fi and fantasy feel a bit too much like mere playthings to me.

My latest recommendation: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1643266/?ref_=nv_sr_1--I simply couldn't resist sharing this one!

☕