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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 14, 2015 at 1:07 pm
(February 13, 2015 at 12:19 pm)Simon Moon Wrote: While it is not quite up to their best, it is far from lame. I don't find that it holds up quote as well as "The Holy Grail", from a humor standpoint.
So, I watched it again last night, and while I'll stick with The Holy Grail being a funnier movie, The Life of Brian is a better movie.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 14, 2015 at 1:50 pm
I think the reason why it can seem to Americans like British comedy is great is due to the fact that, for the most part, the British shows that are real dogs just never get shown in America. I spent some time looking for obscure British shows that are not commonly available here, and I can tell you definitively, that most of what I found that way was obscure for very good reason.
I will grant you, though, that most British shows have actors and actresses who look like normal people, instead of models. But there is a common setup in some American comedies in which a fat, ugly guy (who looks real enough) is married to a woman who looks like a model. Typically, he is stupid and obnoxious as well, so that there is no possible reason why such a woman would be married to him, which makes that setup pretty unreal.
I don't want to mention any names of shows, because almost no matter how bad some specific show is, there is always someone who is going to like it. And my comments are about a generality, not a specific show.
That said, I think Life of Brian is a great movie, and very funny. It captures the thinking of many religious followers perfectly, and also it shows a keen understanding of working with some small social justice groups. Most of the best humor in the film is derived from the truth. Like, "what have the Romans ever done for us?", in which the entire list is historically true.
This makes me think of another great comedy that derives its great humor from the truth, and that is Dr. Strangelove. It, too, uses the truth to be laugh out loud funny. And also rather depressing, when one thinks about it.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 8:44 am
Mind you, Broadchurch season 2 is a mess. I like the overall story arc, it's just been executed so poorly and in particular with the individual episode plots. I hope this isn't the kiss of death for the series, because it was devised as a trilogy, but it may well come to that.
For Religion & Health see:[/b][/size] Williams & Sternthal. (2007). Spirituality, religion and health: Evidence and research directions. Med. J. Aust., 186(10), S47-S50. -LINK
The WIN/Gallup End of Year Survey 2013 found the US was perceived to be the greatest threat to world peace by a huge margin, with 24% of respondents fearful of the US followed by: 8% for Pakistan, and 6% for China. This was followed by 5% each for: Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea. -LINK
"That's disgusting. There were clean athletes out there that have had their whole careers ruined by people like Lance Armstrong who just bended thoughts to fit their circumstances. He didn't look up cheating because he wanted to stop, he wanted to justify what he was doing and to keep that continuing on." - Nicole Cooke
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 9:20 am
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2015 at 9:49 am by Spooky.)
(February 13, 2015 at 8:48 am)Drich Wrote: Why should someone see it?
Because it is a lame 1970's British comedy fill with mash banger jokes and their version of slap stick.
The big irony is all of that is the core message of the movie simply trades what it defines as one sheeplessly mindless unknowable world view, for another one.
Are we talking about Christianity? I think you just described Christianity. ..
The standard theist answer: It doesn't agree with my religion or challenges me intellectually, best not give it a second glance. It's written by Satan to divert us from our righteous path.
Standard line of bs.
I reject your reality and substitute my own!
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 11:58 am
The other big problem with religious shitwits is that they have no sense of humor at all....especially about themselves.
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 1:07 pm
(February 18, 2015 at 11:58 am)Minimalist Wrote: The other big problem with religious shitwits is that they have no sense of humor at all....especially about themselves.
Well, if I was a grown-up man, with a boogeyman under my bed - I'd probably fail to see the funny side of life as well.
"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one." - George Bernard Shaw
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 1:14 pm
The best comedies to come out of America tout themselves as documentaries and news shows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_depaSOa4I
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RE: Why should people not see this film?
February 18, 2015 at 1:49 pm
(This post was last modified: February 18, 2015 at 1:49 pm by pgrimes15.)
I was living in Guildford when Life of Brian was released - one of 2 towns whose council banned it. Didn't get to see it for about another 5 years ( no DVDs in those days). Bummer.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. — Edward Gibbon
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