HOLY CARP, you peoples! According to our site software, this is our one hundredth Open Thread! What a couple of years it’s been! Have you been with us since the very first Open Thread? (Probably not, unless you’re Trevor or Gab)
In honor of this monumental accomplishment, plus the fact that there’s nothing that exciting in the world of pop this week, I’m going to take this thread back where it belongs: a truly open Open Thread. Talk about whatever you like. Start a conversation and we will keep it going. Anything, past, present or future, is up for debate!
Sound off in the comments, for this, as always, is your … Open Thread.
I just finished watching the whole first season of ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’ and thought it was pretty good, and got a lot better throughout the season with some really strong episodes in the second half. (Although my wife says the show should’ve been called ‘Spartacus: Boobs and S#!@%’.)
Anyway, so the first season is all about the inner workings of a gladiator ‘school’ and ends with the gladiator revolt. Reading the Wikipedia entry on the real history of the Third Servile War, it seems to me it should now become a show about pillaging the nearby villages and much larger military-style battles. While this would still be cool to watch, the spirit and tone of the show should be completely different. So my question is: based on the real history, what are people’s expectations for the future of the ‘Spartacus’ franchise?
Sorry, I screwed up my HTML. It should say:
“Reading the Wikipedia entry on the real history of the 3rd Servile War, it seems to me…”
I fixed it! I’m great.
Large-scale military battles are tough to do on Starz’s pennies budget. But I’d allow them some room for creativity. Although, given the “tits and blood” rubric that “Spartacus” operates under, there’d probably be a lot of rape. So …
I feel that ‘you have a lot of nerve condemning one of the greatest [media properties] of all times.’ should become an OTI meme.
Also, some of us have caught up with the threads even if they weren’t there when they were extant.
Also, a Brit as Spiderman, Batman and Superman. Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the comic book franchise movies, Britain never never shall be… something.
If someone can fashion up a GIF of Ben Affleck parodying Keith Olbermann saying “How DARE you, sir!” into three separate cameras, that will become the OTI stock response to the comment in question.
If it were on YouTube, that’d be a darn sight easier to achieve. SNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNL!
There are a bunch of nerdgirls on tumblr who have bittorrents of all recent SNL seasons. I bet one of them could hook you up with the footage.
Well, is anybody planning a party for the Super Bowl? I’m rather torn because I’m a Bears fan, so I don’t really want to root for the Packers; but I also have really strong, negative feelings about Big Ben… But I suppose since the latter is more an ethics thing, I’m going to have to be a temporary Cheesehead. I’ll take a long shower or something to cleanse myself when it’s over.
Fleet Foxes was discussed a bit on that first Open Thread and, coincidentally, they announced earlier this week that they’re releasing a new album in May. “Helpless Blues” is the title track and available for free online, weeeeeee! Since I still can’t figure out which HTML to use to make a hyperlink, settle for an old-fashioned one. Sorry, it’s how I roll.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/01/fleet-foxes-announce-new-album
While on the topic of music, I found myself comparing two different indie movie soundtracks, Garden State and (500) Days of Summer recently (I found the latter in a bin for five bucks somewhere and already had the former). Gotta say, both are pretty good, and the emotions I was feeling at the end of their respective movies translated into the soundtracks very well. But a comparison of the movies is a fun thought exercise, too. I still say the manic-pixie-someone is the guy in Summer, not the girl, but that’s just me.
As for Brits playing “American” roles, I see nothing wrong with it. There was a big tizzy ages ago when Anthony Hopkins was in line to play Nixon, and look at how (seriously) fabulous that turned out. I just care that the person does a good job.
Hero of the Story is a great song that fits at a great moment of that film. I can’t remember where my favourite songs from the Garden State soundtrack go in the film… so which is better?
Well, to be honest, I don’t quite remember how the songs on either juxtapose with their respective films, but the song order chosen makes both work to give (me) the same feeling in the gut at the end of the last track as when the credits of the film(s) start rolling. Days actually opens almost exactly as the movie does with its first track being part of the opening narrative, followed directly by the first song to play in the movie, “Us” by Regina Spektor. It really sets the tone for the whole feel, a sort of determined, slightly pained, but hopeful overarching sensation (for me). Also, I do know the third-to-last on this one is actually what’s playing as the credits start. And I think Garden State does something similar by having “Let Go” take second-to-last, even though that’s the last song during the movie, too (although it has been a while since I saw that… does another song start during the credits?).
Maybe instead of doing my real homework, I should just watch the movies with the track lists on-hand… Oh, if only life were that simple!
Sorry, at this point, I’m just rambling again.
As per your question at the end, please note : The following is all totally my personal opinion and evaluation. I’m just taking advantage of the fact that you asked- I’m totally not trying to tell you what to think, though, and I’d encourage you to listen to them both yourself and decide which you enjoy more.
That being said, my opinion is both are fabulous and have interesting blends of older and newer semi-unknown stuff.* I could give personal interpretations of the songs themselves as well as how they each fit into the narratives of the films, but that would 1) take far too long, and 2) be kind of ridiculous (although probably not out of place here!). Anyhoo, I think the one I like “more” would depend on the mood I want to set myself up for having when it’s over. I think I’d be warier of Days if I’m feeling more than a little down, likely because it does have more “sad” songs. But that doesn’t mean it’s worse. I’d have to listen to both when I’m in a good mood before definitively choosing between them (and I’m a little peeved at the moment- nothing to do with this- and may thus conduct an unreliable experiment right now). I think because of the semi-sad feeling I get after Days , I probably prefer that one a little less frequently, though. I mean, I can appreciate sad art, but I don’t necessarily want to be sad. It’s like watching a really good but utterly depressing movie like Life is Beautiful or American Beauty– I totally get that they’re well-made and artful, but watching them makes me bloody sad, so I tend not to rewatch them very often when they’re on TV. I’m on my way to making really high-browed normative statements, though, so I’ll just stop now, ending with the qualifier that music is a little different and I knowingly and willingly subject myself to a lot more sad music than I do sad films (and I honestly am not sure why I do this).
Funny little parallel, though, both movies have a particular band which the couple involved is intrigued by, thus giving said band not one, but two tracks on the soundtrack. The Shins in Garden State and The Smiths in Days. Just comparing those two bands and the songs selected is enough for a hella long essay. I’ll just point out that The Shins, the band that has a “happier” vibe, are attributed to the film where the relationship being portrayed is resolved with them getting together, while The Smiths, the band with the “sadder” vibe, are attributed to the one where the couple being portrayed ends up apart.
*Anecdote: I have a thing for movie soundtracks, and I discovered Nick Drake not on the Garden State soundtrack, but the one for Practical Magic. I’m disappointed that even though the latter is six years older, he’s still relatively unknown, and even after the former’s popularity, nonetheless- or at least unknown enough to be indie enough for Garden State and still get a, “Huh?” when I ask people if they’ve heard of him. Sad face. :(
I’m inclined to suggest that I like the music from Garden State more than the film because it is more downbeat – the first half of GS is haunting, has some great direction and Natalie Portman is just too unbelievable. Whereas 500 Days has a good balance of the cynical story and the humour, and is essentially a long set up to a bad but beautiful joke at the end, but I only really recall Hero of the Story, and now you mention it, Us, but there’s more than Spektor on there…
(I feel I should write more to do your comment justice, but my brain doesn’t have the capacity at the minute).
Dude, I’m the queen of verbosity. If I was a comic book character, I’d be, like, the Verbose Avenger or Circumlocution Champion or some jazz. My powers would be talking my enemies to death.
Oh, and you meant to say “CARP” and not “CRAP” right? Right???
I always mean “carp.”
*dons sunglasses*
YYYEEAAAAAAAAHHH!
And here I thought Holy Carp was the Jesus fish…
I used an OTI reference in English class today and the teacher knew what I was talking about…
Also OTI should do a colab. with the Vlogbrothers of Youtube fame that would kick ass.
Hannah, DFTBA, my friend. Nerdfighters ftw.
Amen! And OTI is the most nerdfighting website out there besides the Ning and the wiki. I really hope that a collaboration could be in te future for my two favorite things on the web.
Seconded. ;p
I used an OTI reference in English class today and the teacher knew what I was talking about…
Explain please!
I made a reference to the Hitler spoofs and our conglomerate culture thinking of the article about it that I’d read on this site. She then proceeded to talk about OTI and explained the entire article. It made my day.
So as long as we’re doing completely open thread I wanted to use it to talk about Cartoon Network’s Adventure time. If I had the writing and research chops I would put them into an OTI article about its feminism theme of having a land with nearly all its ruling class as female, with the one king shown (the Ice King) not only being evil, but obsessed with dominating the female ruling body. Even if I’m out of whack in bringing all this up, it’s still hands-down the best kid’s cartoon on the air today and if you’re not watching it you’re making mistakes with your life.