Thanks for the mention! I have a suggestion for a future episode, which I'm sure you're eager and happy to get. Since I couldn't find your suggestion box, I'll just type it here.
I'd like to hear a comparison/contrast of "Black Mirror" and "Room 104."
It's pretty interesting. Each episode is a standalone (like Black Mirror), but uses the same setting (Room 104 of a motel) in various time periods. There's usually an odd twist. It's on MAX, if I remember correctly. It ran from 2017-2020, but I just recently discovered it.
Oh, Ben... We've discussed this many times. I don't have the same disconnect re: older special effects at all. Special effects are the last thing I consider. If a film has a great script, characters, imagination, heart, etc - as many old adventure stories do - dated visual effects I can often overlook. Also, re: Star Wars. It's not the fourth one. It's the first one, dammit!
I love, love, love, old films. They are like a warm hug.
Obviously, not all old films involve big special effects, and I love how directors like David Lean made films like Lawrence of Arabia with no CGI. Seeing the 70mm 1989 reissue at the age of 14 was akin to a religious experience.
Casablanca is one of the finest screenplays ever written and I love that film. I love Seven Samurai too.
I’d love to watch the history of cinema through your eyes. I’ve definitely felt that same appeal you mention from time to time at least! At their best, almost any movie can transport me to another time. Watching The Twilight Zone or It’s a Wonderful Life are two places where it’s never been hard for me to suspend disbelief. Maybe one day I’ll be able to push past this wall.
Pardon my Star Wars blasphemy 😂 my ignorance shows hahaha. At this point I’m almost proud of it. I may just make it to the grave without watching those movies.
I love the 1978 Superman by the way. Easily my favourite superhero film. Christopher Reeve is amazing, and so is the rest of the cast. And John Williams... wow.
This is a fun watch. Regarding Substack, I really ought to put more effort in here - not so much into my writing, but into reading and promoting the work of other people. I've made a concerted effort to do that on Medium where I'm most active, but I would like to do more interaction here.
I enjoyed the first series of The Last of Us (viewed on my wife's recommendation) but I've yet to watch the second. As you probably know, cinema and literature always come first with me, so television will always be third fiddle for me. I am always reading (and writing novels) and I go to the cinema at least two or three times per week. There are great films being made, just generally not by mainstream Hollywood.
I also don't buy the idea that a long running television serial has more character depth just because it has more time to play with. At its best, that can be true (Breaking Bad, for instance) but with long-running series now, I typically wait until they are finished to high critical acclaim, then ask my wife if they are worthy of my time. A film is a much lesser investment of my time, and I prefer cinema as an art form. I'd happily swap the whole of The Sopranos for just one reel of Goodfellas.
Something I like about Substack over Medium is that the reciprocity element can be a bit more passive with recommendations/restacking/live feeds etc. I probably spend less time reading other authors here than I do on Medium.
Glad you got around to seeing The Last of Us! That first season really is incredible. The second hasn’t fully released yet, so it might be worth waiting till you can do more a binge watch if you’re the type to. But given how little TV you watch, there may be shows I’d sooner recommend. Have you seen Better Call Saul in addition to Breaking Bad? I find it even better. I also think Mr. Robot is criminally underappreciated. I think over the years I’ve been a bit more committed to TV series than new movies! But it’s hard to say I love one more than the other. There’s something to be said for being able to digest a whole story in one sitting.
I think 45 mins begins to be short enough where we’d be hurriedly jumping between subjects and looking at the clock, personally. In a perfect world, these could be edited down to account for any redundancy or less meaningful banter, but it would be quite a lot of editing work that I’m not really up for myself. An hour has felt like a good time to shoot for with the lives that I’ve done so far. It’s a shame to cut things short on the dot if the conversation goes somewhere interesting or we’re just having a nice to chatting, so sometimes we stretch beyond that.
That's your decision, of course. Studies have shown that the average listener has an attention span of about 40 minutes or so. My classes were based on that fact. Then they were followed by 15-20 minutes of discussion and questions.
I can verify that with my own AS after watching a lot of lives. OK. Done.
I believe it! I would expect many people don’t tune in from beginning to end, and instead skip around to see what’s covered or split it up into multiple sittings. That’s usually what I do myself as a listener. But i routinely tune into Heather Cox Richardson and her hour long talks, so there are exceptions! I hope to get better and better at keeping things engaging.
Thanks for the mention! I have a suggestion for a future episode, which I'm sure you're eager and happy to get. Since I couldn't find your suggestion box, I'll just type it here.
I'd like to hear a comparison/contrast of "Black Mirror" and "Room 104."
Thank you and good day.
Room 104 I’m not sure I’ve heard of actually! Now you’ve got me curious.
It's pretty interesting. Each episode is a standalone (like Black Mirror), but uses the same setting (Room 104 of a motel) in various time periods. There's usually an odd twist. It's on MAX, if I remember correctly. It ran from 2017-2020, but I just recently discovered it.
Yes. Room 104 sounds interesting. Thanks.
Oh, Ben... We've discussed this many times. I don't have the same disconnect re: older special effects at all. Special effects are the last thing I consider. If a film has a great script, characters, imagination, heart, etc - as many old adventure stories do - dated visual effects I can often overlook. Also, re: Star Wars. It's not the fourth one. It's the first one, dammit!
I love, love, love, old films. They are like a warm hug.
Obviously, not all old films involve big special effects, and I love how directors like David Lean made films like Lawrence of Arabia with no CGI. Seeing the 70mm 1989 reissue at the age of 14 was akin to a religious experience.
Casablanca is one of the finest screenplays ever written and I love that film. I love Seven Samurai too.
I’d love to watch the history of cinema through your eyes. I’ve definitely felt that same appeal you mention from time to time at least! At their best, almost any movie can transport me to another time. Watching The Twilight Zone or It’s a Wonderful Life are two places where it’s never been hard for me to suspend disbelief. Maybe one day I’ll be able to push past this wall.
Pardon my Star Wars blasphemy 😂 my ignorance shows hahaha. At this point I’m almost proud of it. I may just make it to the grave without watching those movies.
(In disapproving teacher voice): That isn’t something to aspire to, Ben. I’m not angry. Just very disappointed.
I love the 1978 Superman by the way. Easily my favourite superhero film. Christopher Reeve is amazing, and so is the rest of the cast. And John Williams... wow.
This is a fun watch. Regarding Substack, I really ought to put more effort in here - not so much into my writing, but into reading and promoting the work of other people. I've made a concerted effort to do that on Medium where I'm most active, but I would like to do more interaction here.
I enjoyed the first series of The Last of Us (viewed on my wife's recommendation) but I've yet to watch the second. As you probably know, cinema and literature always come first with me, so television will always be third fiddle for me. I am always reading (and writing novels) and I go to the cinema at least two or three times per week. There are great films being made, just generally not by mainstream Hollywood.
I also don't buy the idea that a long running television serial has more character depth just because it has more time to play with. At its best, that can be true (Breaking Bad, for instance) but with long-running series now, I typically wait until they are finished to high critical acclaim, then ask my wife if they are worthy of my time. A film is a much lesser investment of my time, and I prefer cinema as an art form. I'd happily swap the whole of The Sopranos for just one reel of Goodfellas.
And thanks for watching, Simon!
Something I like about Substack over Medium is that the reciprocity element can be a bit more passive with recommendations/restacking/live feeds etc. I probably spend less time reading other authors here than I do on Medium.
Glad you got around to seeing The Last of Us! That first season really is incredible. The second hasn’t fully released yet, so it might be worth waiting till you can do more a binge watch if you’re the type to. But given how little TV you watch, there may be shows I’d sooner recommend. Have you seen Better Call Saul in addition to Breaking Bad? I find it even better. I also think Mr. Robot is criminally underappreciated. I think over the years I’ve been a bit more committed to TV series than new movies! But it’s hard to say I love one more than the other. There’s something to be said for being able to digest a whole story in one sitting.
Yes, I’ve seen Better Call Saul in full. Now that’s how you do a prequel, George.
Absolutely no disrespect for what you're doing. I really like your discussions and am there for the whole thing, with maybe one absence.
No offense taken! I appreciate the feedback!
This was a good discussion. The only suggestion I have is to shorten them and set a time limit. 40-45 minutes
is good.
I think 45 mins begins to be short enough where we’d be hurriedly jumping between subjects and looking at the clock, personally. In a perfect world, these could be edited down to account for any redundancy or less meaningful banter, but it would be quite a lot of editing work that I’m not really up for myself. An hour has felt like a good time to shoot for with the lives that I’ve done so far. It’s a shame to cut things short on the dot if the conversation goes somewhere interesting or we’re just having a nice to chatting, so sometimes we stretch beyond that.
That's your decision, of course. Studies have shown that the average listener has an attention span of about 40 minutes or so. My classes were based on that fact. Then they were followed by 15-20 minutes of discussion and questions.
I can verify that with my own AS after watching a lot of lives. OK. Done.
Crack on.
I believe it! I would expect many people don’t tune in from beginning to end, and instead skip around to see what’s covered or split it up into multiple sittings. That’s usually what I do myself as a listener. But i routinely tune into Heather Cox Richardson and her hour long talks, so there are exceptions! I hope to get better and better at keeping things engaging.