EPICS! they are usually, too long, big, gawdy scenery, ham acting, cast of 1000s

[Canticle]

I've never been a fan of the big EPIC movies. If the story, is a Biblical one, it gets over done, if it's historical, it will usually be inaccurate and if it's fantasy....over the top and sometimes distasteful.

You can count on the decor, or scenery, being garish and in extremely bad taste. the colours far too bright and never easy upon the eye. The travellers, in the tale, usually played by genuinely excellent actors, tend to be unbelieveable. Even good actors will ham it up, when they are on their best begaviour. After all.....the journey is costing a lot of dollars.....for the people financing the trip....the Director's whim...played out upon the screen.

Sometimes the Director will say, that a longed for wish has come true. Soooooo....along with his/her chums, he gets together, they write a story, maybe getting someone to pen a good screenplay, get their money together (are they sure they can afford it, last time in interview they pleaded poverty), and approach the big distributor. Will the big distributor...the experienced captain in choppy waters, say 'Yes.'

Well, if the big distributor, thinks that a profit can be made, that there is no risk and they are personally, not going to get their feet wet, then the OK, may be given. The film gets made and the distributor rolls out, into the sea lanes, it's latest money making vessel.

Will the movie be successful.....will it attract those of the public, taken in by the sales pitch? Maybe it will and maybe it won't. The silver screen (heck, it never looks like a silver sea to me), will attract the dreamers, hoping to experience, for a short while, what they do not have in real life. A fantasy....and like the ham actors....all on their best behaviour....presenting a persona, to the world, which is a false as great grandpa's teeth.

And then the journey is over, the trip of a lifetime, no more and sadly, heads hung low, the guests at the ball, return home, fleeing (or is it flying), in all directions. Back to their reality....back to the 9-5, back to the drudgery, back to where they feel most at ease......with other actors......upon a smaller screen......all sat in their little boxes.....bobbing heads.....tennis watching style.

No, give me not the great Epics. I don't need the ghoulish and tawdry entertainment. Give me a small town movie.....a foreign language film.......an art house production. Let the Epics sink without a trace, from my sight. Unless...of course......I am bored.

[DuckiesDarling]

Reminds me of most of your posts, overdone and exaggerated.

[Canticle]

Reminds me of most of your posts, overdone and exaggerated.

Well, thank you....I take that as a great compliment. Thank you, indeed. I feel really humble now :rolleyes:

[TaylorMade]

Your Counter Essay. . .

I happen to like Epics. It's a lost art of making one. From Cleopatra to Quo Vadis, if it's got sandals, swords, robots, battles and a budget the size of an African Nation's GDP, I love it most of the time.

It's been a while since Hollywood really put effort into making a really good Epic. 300 looked like an epic -wrapped around good basic story - wheatfields and rocky vistas, army of hundreds, thousands . . .all done with a green screen and an artists eye.

Oh boo! I love you Zach Snyder, but you cheated.

Give me Australia... That was an Epic. Baz Luhrmann's expansive shots and eye candy, and yes the beauty of the titled country. What a look.

Yeah, it was a shitty story.

Why can't we have both anymore? Why can't we have Ben-Hur, with Stephen Boyd's sensual and spurned Massala wreaking havoc on his childhood friend (ex-boyfriend? Boyd said he played him as such) against both a cardboard set and a grand stadium.

Hell, I'll even take Gladiator. That was probably the last great Epic, from the lush woods, to the lip searing deserts (Who else was wondering if Peter O'Toole would ride in anachronistically?) and the lush decadence of Ancient Rome.

Fuck, I love me some Ancient Rome.

Epics are fun BECAUSE they cause us to forget. A good epic stimulates the imagination. A shitty epic becomes fodder with our gay friends (The Robe anyone? I knew that was campy and gay as hell before I grasped the concept of Camp Gay) and sometimes gets rebirthed as a cult favorite.

Hate on the epic all you want, but it fits into the imagination of man. We as a whole like things big. Big cars, big tits,big houses big cocks, and big movies. If we didn't know any better, that is why God made summer. :p


*Taylor*

[tenni]

Hmm A possibly interesting topic.

I think that the word "epic" belonged to a certain time period in the history of Cinema. They did seem to deal with an era that was connected to ancient history. I googled and yes Canticle they agreed with you as far as the epics being lavishly costumed and elaborate sets , expensive, recreating history with questionable accuracy and more.

Since the epics of yesteryear, were rather long and today's audience finds and hour and a half long as much as they can tolerate. A film over two hours is rare. This may be one reason why they are rarely made today. The expense may be another. JFK film by Oliver Stone has been referred to as an Epic by some. It was long by today's standards. It was expensive. It was also questionably historical inaccurate. In other words, accused of rewriting history.

Below are some movies that are considered one type of Epic or other.

• epic/historical westerns (i.e., Cimarron (1930), Dances with Wolves (1990))
• epic science-fiction (i.e., Star Wars (1977))
• epic/historical dramas (i.e., Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987))
• epic war films (i.e., The Longest Day (1962))
• unconventional epics (i.e., Robert Altman's Nashville (1975))
• auteur epics (i.e., Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Warren Beatty's period film Reds (1981), and theatrical director Julie Taymor's adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus (1999)


I have to wonder about such films that actually stretched over multi-films. I wonder about Lord of the Rings. Was it a series or was it an Epic over three films? I can not imagine sitting through all three films in one sitting but I bet someone somewhere is/has done it.

I know a Canadian experimental film maker who made what he referred to as one film created over a twenty four year period. It actually consisted of over 30 films and runs for 42 hours. He refers to it as a film cycle. Now that is an Epic!!!! No one would sit through all of them!! (I've sat through a few as I'm curating him in a screening next year...pending funding as is usual in the artworld) He is now working on what he refers to as his second film cylce. It may take the rest of his life to complete it.

[Canticle]

Oh goodie....are we going to see some interesting posts. I hope so. Thank you Taylor and Tenni, for those posts.

Taylor.....I hope you realised, that my OP was written, a little tongue in cheek. :bigrin:

[tenni]

Canticle.
For those of us who read with a different accent :rolleyes: would you add some smiles to your satirical posts?..Please :bigrin::bigrin:

oh..btw The Epic experimental 42 hour film was actually played completely in a government supported art cinema house. I think that it ran over an entire month broken up into many screening nights.

[Gay2Bi]

Well, as an independent filmmaker (I hate posts that start that way, which is why I did it), I have to agree about epics - I don't really like them. The reason is that they deal with subject matters that don't interest me: war, natural disasters, religious themes, etc. And yes, they tend to exaggerate their own importance.

Terry Pratchett creates a send-up of epic movies in his Discworld book Moving Pictures:


A Man and A Woman Aflame With Passione in A Citie Riven by Sivil War!
Brother against Brother! Women in crinoline dresses slapping people's faces! A mighty dynasty brought low!
A great city aflame!
All it needed was a title. Something with a ring to it. Something that people would remember. Something - Dibbler scratched his chin with the pen - that said that the affairs of ordinary people were so much chaff in the great storms of history. Storms, that was it. Good imagery, a storm. You got thunder. Lightning. Rain. Wind.
Wind. That was it!
He crawled up to the top of the sheet and, with great care, wrote:
BLOWN AWAY.

Me, personally, I prefer psychological pieces. I'm more interested in what's going on in a character's head than in big explosions. My problem with epics is that they tend to be about events - in other words, it's all about plot (the stuff that happens). Good stories, on the other hand, are created by their main characters - what happens is less important than to whom it happens, and the plot is the result of that person trying to cope with the incident that launches the story.

But that's just my opinion (and Aristotle's...). :2cents: It could also be why I haven't yet made it as a filmmaker. ;)

"Your work is puerile and underdramatized. You lack any sense of structure, character, or the Aristotelian Unities." - Wednesday Addams criticizing a terrible playwright, Addams Family Values.

[Canticle]

Canticle.
For those of us who read with a different accent :rolleyes: would you add some smiles to your satirical posts?..Please :bigrin::bigrin:

oh..btw The Epic experimental 42 hour film was actually played completely in a government supported art cinema house. I think that it ran over an entire month broken up into many screening nights.

Well...gee.....I'll try to remember that Mr Tenni :rolleyes: rolls eyes and smiles, as she writes this post, with a fake American accent.....:tong:

I usually read all the posts, which I am reading.....in the accent...I think the poster will have. I thought everyone did that....lol...:tongue:

Must mean that I have a fertile imagination!! Oh, I forgot...I do ;);)

Oh, I do indeed...............LOL

[Canticle]

Well, as an independent filmmaker (I hate posts that start that way, which is why I did it), I have to agree about epics - I don't really like them. The reason is that they deal with subject matters that don't interest me: war, natural disasters, religious themes, etc. And yes, they tend to exaggerate their own importance.

Terry Pratchett creates a send-up of epic movies in his Discworld book Moving Pictures:



Me, personally, I prefer psychological pieces. I'm more interested in what's going on in a character's head than in big explosions. My problem with epics is that they tend to be about events - in other words, it's all about plot (the stuff that happens). Good stories, on the other hand, are created by their main characters - what happens is less important than to whom it happens, and the plot is the result of that person trying to cope with the incident that launches the story.

But that's just my opinion (and Aristotle's...). :2cents: It could also be why I haven't yet made it as a filmmaker. ;)

"Your work is puerile and underdramatized. You lack any sense of structure, character, or the Aristotelian Unities." - Wednesday Addams criticizing a terrible playwright, Addams Family Values.

I just love your post.....I really do. So far I'm just gonna be ''listening''........and then come up wth something brilliant......coughs.

Is Aristotle your cat....:bigrin:

[void()]

"Everybody loves a story. And they love repetition, too."

I used to enjoy reading epics, Beowulf one of the first read. Now, I'm fortunate to make it to the end of an ingredients list.

On one of the writing mailing list I frequent, someone gave apt criticism of a story. "Who cares?"

If you can not grab the audience's attention in 30 seconds or less, forget the story. And it's 13 seconds to catch an editor for written material on average.

You need to engage your viewers and listeners quickly, and make them care. In the United States about ten years ago the average reading level was elementary school. Now it is probably a great deal lower.

"If you want to blame someone you've no further to look than a mirror ..."

Fear is a wretched cancer spawning lunatic tainted ignorance, which if unchecked ferments to stupidity. Ignorance can be fixed, stupidity not.

And it is not an author's responsibility to educate or coddle readers to such a degree as to bring them to the author's level. No, an author writes to entertain. But folks can no longer be entertained when they are pressured into the chains of stupidity.

This is a large part of reasoning behind me not writing. I have to stop, explain things, show continuity, cause and effect. Folks can no longer grasp such things. They lack critical thinking skills.

And to have to stop, backtrack ... only serves to ruin a story. "You weren't paying attention? Don't understand the word flatulence? What?" Besides that it makes you quite sad.

I've no real opinion about epics. I can take 'em or leave 'em depending on the mood, life situation. Anymore though, I tend to doze off five minutes into any movie. It's all just a repeat anyway ...

[mikey3000]

Actually I think magic is made is as few words as possible. I love short films.

[Canticle]

You make some very good points there, Void....especially about capturing the reader's or watcher's attention. Those first few words of a book, or the opening scene, of a movie, are so important.

I guess that there are some movie epics, which I like and have even enjoyed, but I cannot bring the title of one, to mind. So what does that say about these movies? If someone was to mention the name of a movie, which is classed as an epic, then I would, if I had seen it, remember certain scenes. Of that, I am certain.

Perhaps, one of the most heart lifting scenes, of any movie, is the opening scene, from the Sound of Music. A combination of the camerawork, scenery and the music and words, just take the breath away. It does it every time. The rest of the movie...ummm...now I'm an adult....no thanks...but when I saw the movie, in the cinema, aged about 12.......well....I just had to write to Maria Von Trapp, didn't I and I got a reply!

I agree with you Mikey, ''shorts,'' can be far more interesting films, at times, depending upon the subject. They can get your attention, deliver the story and have a beginning, middle and end end, in not much time at all. Can leave you feeling very satisfied, to have seen such a film.

I'm still thinking........

[Pasadenacpl2]

Anyone else notice that Tenni said there is a government supported art cinema house in Canada?

*facepalm*

Pasa

[Pasadenacpl2]

I like epics...though, not necessarily the cast of thousands variety. Costner was very good at them.

Dances with Wolves
Water World
The Postman

I didn't like Water World, but it had to do with the rest of the cast and the terrible greenscreen at the end. The other two are two of my favorites.

Pasa

[tenni]

Yes!!! I noticed that I wrote that :bigrin:

That one is connected to the government supported Art Gallery of Ontario. We also pay artists to exhibit/screen cuz artists are workers deserving to be paid for their services. This excludes any purchase of art.

Of course this is for non commercial art /video/experimental film. The Experimental film makers were whining about not having venues for their work at an International Experimental Congress that I went to last spring. All film art is not meant to be viewed while munching on over priced popcorn and monster drinks Pasa..

facepalm to the capitalist pigs who only accept trash commercial films intended for the low brow beer guzling bubbas...:cool:


Anyone else notice that Tenni said there is a government supported art cinema house in Canada?

*facepalm*

Pasa

[DuckiesDarling]

low brow beer guzzling bubbas stocking up before for going to the Roxy to view epic films :bigrin::bigrin:

Wow Tenni, you shouldn't poke fun at your overweight countrymen :tong:

And for the record, some art films I like, some I think are just preachy. But where I live the only thing available when watching a movie in a cinema is a soft drink. So no chance for beer or anything more sophisticated. And at home when watching movies, I drink whatever I happen to be drinking before the movie. If it's whiskey(whisky) then I continue (and some art films are better viewed drunk), if it's a glass of chablis or white zin, I'll drink that, if it's KoolAid, I'll drink that and if it's iced tea I'll drink that. It's a matter of personal preference not who wants to act like somebody just because they are around other people they want to impress.

[tenni]

Ah....DD you are too quick....I told you to give me 5 minutes ...I deleted it. Did you notice how clean and tidy that they were?


Wow Tenni, you shouldn't poke fun at your overweight countrymen :tong:

[DuckiesDarling]

Ah....DD you are too quick....I told you to give me 5 minutes ...I deleted it. What makes you think that they are not Canucks?

You are too quick too I just edited mine as well :tong:


Actually they can be any overweight couple in any country that has white skin out shopping.

[tenni]

oK...pinky swear that we will try to give each other 5 minutes to edit..lol I know that it is hard sometime:bigrin:

I think that I'm failing with this post but ....


You are too quick too I just edited mine as well :tong:


Actually they can be any overweight couple in any country that has white skin out shopping.

[DuckiesDarling]

LOL take all the time you need, I'm off to bed soon :)

[void()]

Kant is still thinking ... "this bodes not well.

I disliked Gone with the Wind. It was too much of a cheesy romance for anything else to matter. Yeah love is great but you still need bones.

*YAWN* Excuse me, sorry been up since 3 AM here, worked and tossed 50-60 pound boxes of books around all day. Next week's paycheck will feel good. :)

Postman was a damn fine movie, had one of my admired folks in it. Got to love a movie that puts Tom Petty in it. And he didn't play the Mad Hatter, eh ...er ... *shrugs*

"Oi, this old wolf be gonna den. Ye kin natters me late."

[TaylorMade]

Yes!!! I noticed that I wrote that :bigrin:

That one is connected to the government supported Art Gallery of Ontario. We also pay artists to exhibit/screen cuz artists are workers deserving to be paid for their services. This excludes any purchase of art.

Of course this is for non commercial art /video/experimental film. The Experimental film makers were whining about not having venues for their work at an International Experimental Congress that I went to last spring. All film art is not meant to be viewed while munching on over priced popcorn and monster drinks Pasa..

facepalm to the capitalist pigs who only accept trash commercial films intended for the low brow beer guzling bubbas...:cool:

I don't like my art to preach at me. State sanctioned art is not truly free art in my opinion.

*Taylor*
(A Jack Daniels Swilling bubba thankyew very much)

[tenni]

Wow!! You are so wrong. In Canada, it is not state sanctioned art per sei at all.

Peer jurying make decisions and the funders operate at arms length of the government. If you are creating art that sucks up to the government, you probably will not get a grant. Jurying is based on creative criteria. Although extremely competitive, it definitely doesn't fund art that is commercially viable or mainstream. It is through such systems that marginalized people bring forth their perspectives whether they be GLBT, racial minorities or one that gets a lot of attention from the funders is Indigenous voices. Sometimes politicians complain about a certain artist getting funded....but they still get funded. Most experimental film makers find this the only way to create their work. We do not have corporate or foundation sponsorship of the arts to the same degree as some other countries. Corporate sponsorship might be more inclined to suppport the status quo (suck up to the man) but certainly not always. It would depend upon how the funding decisions were established.



I don't like my art to preach at me. State sanctioned art is not truly free art in my opinion.

*Taylor*
(A Jack Daniels Swilling bubba thankyew very much)

[Pasadenacpl2]

It amazes me the things some people think government should pay for. Waste of tax dollars (read money stolen from people to pay for frivolous things).

When I read about shit like that here I harrass my congressmen asking why I couldnt have kept that money to pay for things my children need.

Pasa

[Canticle]

I like epics...though, not necessarily the cast of thousands variety. Costner was very good at them.

Dances with Wolves
Water World
The Postman

I didn't like Water World, but it had to do with the rest of the cast and the terrible greenscreen at the end. The other two are two of my favorites.

Pasa


Can one call anything, in which Kevin Costner, has appeared, an epic? I've seen Dances with Wolves.....it was OK....but an epic?......seen Water World too.......too much water....and Costner.

Haven't seen The Postman....but I have seen the Italian film Il Postino. Now, that was not an epic.....but it was an absolutely amazing film.....as are most foreign language films.....in my opinion.

I only like Costner in one film.....is it Enemy of the State (never remember the title).....but he was sharing the screen with Gene Hackman...a bonus.

Apart from that, I am not too fond of Costner as an actor....or a looker....his upper set of gnashers...are odd. My Swedish sister in law likes him.....hmmmmmm....no accounting for taste.

[Pasadenacpl2]

Il Postino is a fine film. It is not the Italian version of The Postman, though. So, don't avoid the one because you've seen the other.

But, yes, all of those movies are what are termed epics (all of them were even spoofed in Epic Movie). Another one that is an epic that was fantastic was Last Samurai with Tom Cruise.

Enemy of the State was Will Smith sharing with Gene Hackman. I know Will Smith and Costner look a lot alike, so I understand the confusion. ;)

Pasa

[Canticle]

Il Postino is a fine film. It is not the Italian version of The Postman, though. So, don't avoid the one because you've seen the other.

But, yes, all of those movies are what are termed epics (all of them were even spoofed in Epic Movie). Another one that is an epic that was fantastic was Last Samurai with Tom Cruise.

Enemy of the State was Will Smith sharing with Gene Hackman. I know Will Smith and Costner look a lot alike, so I understand the confusion. ;)

Pasa


Oh, I am qute aware that Il postino is not an Italian version of The Postman.

Oh, dear....Tom Cruise.....

Levity Pasa?..........faints.................

[Pasadenacpl2]

If you haven't seen Last Samurai, I highly reccomend it. It is not your normal Cruise movie. He actually acts, and his supporting cast is beyond superb. I like it as it looks at a period of Japo/American history that I was not aware of. It was quite instructive, as well as being a nearly perfect samurai movie (in the Japanese sense, not in the American sense).

Pasa

[TaylorMade]

Il Postino is a fine film. It is not the Italian version of The Postman, though. So, don't avoid the one because you've seen the other.

But, yes, all of those movies are what are termed epics (all of them were even spoofed in Epic Movie). Another one that is an epic that was fantastic was Last Samurai with Tom Cruise.

Enemy of the State was Will Smith sharing with Gene Hackman. I know Will Smith and Costner look a lot alike, so I understand the confusion. ;)

Pasa

iCan't on principle alone. It's like having The Last Zulu warrior played by Josh Homme.

Just... no.

*Taylor*

[Canticle]

If you haven't seen Last Samurai, I highly reccomend it. It is not your normal Cruise movie. He actually acts, and his supporting cast is beyond superb. I like it as it looks at a period of Japo/American history that I was not aware of. It was quite instructive, as well as being a nearly perfect samurai movie (in the Japanese sense, not in the American sense).

Pasa

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo.............I'd rather see the classic Japanese film, Seven Samurai.....with subtitles.

I'd rather not say what should be done with Tom Cruise.

[Pasadenacpl2]

Oh...oh my. You thought the title was in reference to Cruise's character being the last samurai? Oh, no. That's not it, at all. HE is not the last samurai. He has the honor of being at the last samurai's side as he falls and telling his story.

Honestly, you should watch this movie. I'm a huge fan of Kurosawa (director of 7 Samurai) and all of his works, right up to his opus of Ran. This movie, while still being American, is right up there with Kurosawa. Though, where Kurosawa uses Kabuki and Noh as the basis for his directing choices and his actors (overly dramatic poses, mask-like facial expressions etc.), this movie takes the Japanese and it's culture in a far more realistic fashion.

As for Cruise, I have to say this is not Cruise at his crazy. This is Cruise at his Jerry MacGuire/A Few Good Men best. If you spend the time to watch this film, you will walk away pleased. I was enriched by it, and I don't say that about many films.

Pasa

[Canticle]

Oh...oh my. You thought the title was in reference to Cruise's character being the last samurai? Oh, no. That's not it, at all. HE is not the last samurai. He has the honor of being at the last samurai's side as he falls and telling his story.

Scratches head......When did I think that Pasa? I've read about the movie. I just don't like Tom Cruise....as an actor. I find him impossible to watch. same goes for Brad (when can I learn to act) Pitt, Keanu Reeves and a few others. If their ability to act, does not turn me on, I cannot watch them...I just cannot.

I feel the same about Denzil Washington and Harrison Ford, but for different reasons. They can act....but are so stiff...it's painful to watch.

Throw me a film starring Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman....and i'll catch it......loads more actos, too....both male and female. except for Johnny Depp.........I do not like Johnny Depp.

Oh....wait a minute....were you replying to Taylor....LOL...Oh, well...whatever....still feel the same.

''Honestly, you should watch this movie. I'm a huge fan of Kurosawa (director of 7 Samurai) and all of his works, right up to his opus of Ran. This movie, while still being American, is right up there with Kurosawa. Though, where Kurosawa uses Kabuki and Noh as the basis for his directing choices and his actors (overly dramatic poses, mask-like facial expressions etc.), this movie takes the Japanese and it's culture in a far more realistic fashion.

As for Cruise, I have to say this is not Cruise at his crazy. This is Cruise at his Jerry MacGuire/A Few Good Men best. If you spend the time to watch this film, you will walk away pleased. I was enriched by it, and I don't say that about many films.''

I only know Seven Samurai by Kurosawa......but I do remember it as being good.

Maybe ''epic'' is a term we can use, on a more personal level, for movies, which have amazed or inspired us, as individuals and not necessarily, the big blockbusters.

I can think of many movies, which fit that description.

[Bluebiyou]

Well, technically, Titanic was an epic film.
Emphasizing human drama on a grand scale. While there was the bogus love affair that attracted much audience, the incidental, the surroundings showed the flaws, best, and worst of human behavior, not to mention the most accurate portrayal of this event in cinema.
The last Emperor was lengthy but great. Sometimes epics are necessary to give the scope of the story or understanding.
But just as, perhaps more frequently pleasing are personal struggles...
"My Dinner with Andre" comes to mind as one of the most solitude talking heads movie with two main characters and a handful of background incidentals.
I like musicals as well, Evita (with Madonna), Moulin Rouge, Rocky Horror Picture Show (how camp!).
I hate anything with Cher or Barbara Streisand, except Nicholas Cage saved "Moonstruck" from being a total flop.
I have to admit, the "Friends" series was nauseating, but "The Big Bang" is actually challenging and entertaining.
I love Three Stooges, and South Park is great, but Simpsons is bad and Family guy (without Stewie) is pretty bland.
So, epics, as a genre, are okay... it's more the story behind, and how it's presented that matter.

[Canticle]

Well, technically, Titanic was an epic film.
Emphasizing human drama on a grand scale. While there was the bogus love affair that attracted much audience, the incidental, the surroundings showed the flaws, best, and worst of human behavior, not to mention the most accurate portrayal of this event in cinema.
The last Emperor was lengthy but great. Sometimes epics are necessary to give the scope of the story or understanding.
But just as, perhaps more frequently pleasing are personal struggles...
"My Dinner with Andre" comes to mind as one of the most solitude talking heads movie with two main characters and a handful of background incidentals.
I like musicals as well, Evita (with Madonna), Moulin Rouge, Rocky Horror Picture Show (how camp!).
I hate anything with Cher or Barbara Streisand, except Nicholas Cage saved "Moonstruck" from being a total flop.
I have to admit, the "Friends" series was nauseating, but "The Big Bang" is actually challenging and entertaining.
I love Three Stooges, and South Park is great, but Simpsons is bad and Family guy (without Stewie) is pretty bland.
So, epics, as a genre, are okay... it's more the story behind, and how it's presented that matter.

I'll admit that Titanic was OK......except for the star crossed lovers. It was the computer generated stuff and the scenery and the actual sinking of the ship, with all the tragedy and pathos......yeah it was OK to watch...but only once.

Evita...I thought too stagey.....didn't seem quite right on the screen..at least...not the way it was filmed...but maybe that was the idea.

Oh. I love Cher...in anything and who can forget ''The Witches of Eastwick''...great cast....funny film.

We won't mention Streisand. Or Nicholas Cage. Suffice to say.....NO!!!

I guess ''Friends,'' was an epic, of the small screen....but went on for too long. MASH was great. Southpark...Oh, yuk, yuk yuk! Simpsons rules...a work of genius. my favourite episode being the oner where Side Show Bob and his Brother Cyril are just Frasier and Niles and Yes, I loved Frasier.

Don't know Big Bang, but I've seen the Three Stooges.....they never made me laugh...but then, neither did the British equivalent..the Crazy Gang......they all needed Harpo Marx.

I agree...it is about the story, etc... with an epic movie...or tv series....but I'm really gladIi've never seen Ben Hur. Quo vadis, El Cid...and a few others. Gee.....I'm remembering a few of them.

[void()]

Genji (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Genji) , now there's epic for you. It even inspired an anime series called Inu Yasha, Dog Demon. And like Genji, Inu was very complex and seemed to drag on infinitely.

Seven Samurai which equates to the cheesy western in the States known as Magnificent Seven. :2cents:\ Feel like this also inspired Red Harvest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Harvest) , to a degree. Yes, I'm aware Dashiell Hammett equates Poisonville to his time in Butte Montana as a Pinkerton agent. But there are subtle themes which resonate in both stories, along with the films Last Man Standing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Man_Standing_%28film%29) & Yojimbo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojimbo_%28film%29) . /:2cents: (two cent tag denoting opinion)

Just as a curious writing technical note, Red Harvest borrows Shakespeare's five act play structure. Yeah, one of those odd things I do is ripping stories apart, revise, explore. Often edit myself out of writing a story. :)

And I love all of these, 'cept maybe the one with Steve McQueen. But again, all one genre doesn't exactly make the story for me. After all proletariat dreams of love and justice only allow fleeting escape from the 'now'. I still enjoy Aesop. :)

[Bluebiyou]

Void.
You will absolutely love RedLetterMedia reviews of Star Wars and Star Trek movies, their (redlettermedia) other stuff is ... okay I suppose, but the movie reviews are great.
Go to youtube.com
search on redlettermedia
the movie reviews are fantastic.
You'll love them, I guarantee.
You want a pizza roll?
Blue

[void()]

Void.
You will absolutely love RedLetterMedia reviews of Star Wars and Star Trek movies, their (redlettermedia) other stuff is ... okay I suppose, but the movie reviews are great.
Go to youtube.com
search on redlettermedia
the movie reviews are fantastic.
You'll love them, I guarantee.
You want a pizza roll?
Blue

Pizza roll sounds good. Sorry it took a bit to respond. Yes, loved the redletters. LOL

[Canticle]

Now, Void...Pizza Roll...I know you meant something else...though I'm not sure what, but.........

That's made me get thinking about food. Pretty epic.....my local watering hole cafe.....brill hot chocolate drinks, topped with cream and flaked chocolate....and one of their bacon rolls...with two extra rashers of bacon!!!

Not so epic...the cafe owners (big company), deciding to install a coffee making system and go all Italian. Nothing wrong with that, but a latte presented in a tall glass mug, on a saucer it doesn't fit and can't be carried safely, by the waitresses...or the one waiter (my toy boy :bigrin:))....on a tray....is not a good idea. I've sent two of them flying, already. Amazing what a good floor cleaner coffee makes.

Epic!!!

[void()]

"Now, Void...Pizza Roll...I know you meant something else...though I'm not sure what, but........."


Erm, I meant pizza roll. *chuckles* Never saw the draw of Latte myself, or expresso. Cappa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappuccino) is okay, but I can be appeased with plain old coffee, hot tea, chicory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory), (which was used as a coffee replacement in the South during our lovely civil war, and yes I've drank it straight as well as mixed with regular coffee, it's more bitter).

Pizza rolls are yummy. Me & wife used to work at an I talian & pizza type restaurant. We made pizza rolls at times. Nothing beats a stoneware oven. You can 'brick' pizzas and make them taste worlds better than any conveyor oven. Yeah, I was pizza maker. :) I've cooked short order grill, pizza, a little dabbling of attempted gourmet at home only. Nah, don't want to go to Le Cordon Bleu (http://www.cordonbleu.edu/) or Hell's Kitchen

Hot tea preference: Oolong, Jasmine, English Breakie, Earl Grey, Ceylon, Yogi (http://www.yogiproducts.com/). And Bigelow (http://www.bigelowtea.com/)'s makes a Constant Comment line of teas and coffee, Earl Grey I like Twinnings o' course but can settle for a good 'knock off'.

[IanBorthwick]

I hope your list of hated Epics, and I do agree most of the old Hollywood EPICS were not well done and painful to watch, does not include the Lord of the Rings done by Peter Jackson. In general I agree with what you mean for the old MGM attention grabbers.

But I loved Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and my list stalls there.