Skeptic Friends Network

Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?
Home | Forums | Active Topics | Active Polls | Register | FAQ | Contact Us  
  Connect: Chat | SFN Messenger | Buddy List | Members
Personalize: Profile | My Page | Forum Bookmarks  
 All Forums
 Our Skeptic Forums
 Media Issues
 Movies for freethinkers
 New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Previous Page | Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 3

dimossi
Skeptic Friend

USA
141 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  06:55:37   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit dimossi's Homepage  Send dimossi an AOL message Send dimossi a Private Message
quote:

My tastes should be aparant soon enough but I would add:

The Life of Brian


This one is on the II video list already:
http://www.infidels.org/infidels/products/video/index.shtml

I own the Life of Brian on DVD and do find it hilarious.
quote:

The Loved One

"Connections" for you PBS afficianados

Naked Lunch
Videodrome
Dead Ringers

The classic and odd TV series The Prisoner

Dr Strangelove

Our Man in Havana

Frontline (more from PBS)

Brazil

Well, that's enough off the top of my head.



Out of that list I have only seen "Naked Lunch". I think I had started watching Brazil but ended up turning it off. Maybe I should give it another try.

@tomic, are these just favorite movies of yours of all kinds or are they good movies that you think fit the "freethought videos" category? ("... collection of videos that are directly related to freethought, videos that have freethinkers as characters, or videos that would be of interest to many freethinkers.")

I just want to know so that I can submit them to the II video section if they fit that category. Thanks.

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." [Philip K. Dick, science-fiction author]
Go to Top of Page

@tomic
Administrator

USA
4607 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  08:31:48   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit @tomic's Homepage Send @tomic a Private Message
I think they do. I mean that list also includes the South Park movie and the Matrix for God's sake! I am not sure what exactly constitutes a "freethinker" flick but the Life of Brian is a classic that religious groups tried very hard to ban back in 1980.



@tomic

Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law!
Go to Top of Page

dimossi
Skeptic Friend

USA
141 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  10:47:50   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit dimossi's Homepage  Send dimossi an AOL message Send dimossi a Private Message
quote:

I think they do. I mean that list also includes the South Park movie and the Matrix for God's sake! I am not sure what exactly constitutes a "freethinker" flick but the Life of Brian is a classic that religious groups tried very hard to ban back in 1980.



I know "Life of Brian" would fit in that category. Like I said I have seen that flick and it is alrady included in the II video list.

I am asking about the other movies you listed that I have never heard of or know little about.

I stated my reluctance in putting "Matrix" in my list earlier in this thread.

I wouldn't think there would be any question about "South Park". They spoof religion and religious characters throughout the movie. (Reminds me of "Life of Brian").

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." [Philip K. Dick, science-fiction author]
Go to Top of Page

@tomic
Administrator

USA
4607 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  12:26:30   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit @tomic's Homepage Send @tomic a Private Message
I still have to wonder what parameters need to be met for a film, book etc to make such a list. South Park's inclusion of the Devil in the South Park movie was hardly to make any significant point.

The Loved One should definately be in there

You have never heard of Connections????

The Prisoner was a very conceptual show.

Videodrome is a classic while the Matrix should be forgotten.

I can't imagine Brazil not making such a list.

Dr. Strangelove was a bit silly but made some excellent points.



@tomic

Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law!
Go to Top of Page

Snake
SFN Addict

USA
2511 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  12:34:02   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Snake's Homepage  Send Snake an ICQ Message  Send Snake a Yahoo! Message Send Snake a Private Message
quote:

It's funny--I'm 32 as well, and don't recognize hardly any of the films listed. Thanks for the update. (I haven't been a regular moviegoer since the early 90's and remember going to see Last Temptation of Christ, fighting off the picketing fundies while waiting in line). I have been so involved with catching up on all of the cool shit made before 1990 that I have little spare time to see anything new.

Perhaps I'm living in the past (a fact which might be indicated from my appearance. Many people mistake me for a hippie; which is OK, since it is fun to disabuse them--e.g., my name is Mike, not man or dude. I have to admit that I like the long hair, threadbare clothes and heavy metal T-shirts if for no other reason than it pisses off the ever so hip youngsters).


I like your attitude. Are you married?
We'd make a great pair. My 'room mate' doesn't like to go anywhere with me because of the way I dress which is similar to you. Long hair turns me on. My son is 18 and chops off his lovely black hair to where I think he's almost bald, makes me sick. So glad to hear that there are some young people like you who do not follow the crowd. Ok, enough of that.
Do you know about a movie called 'Blow Up'?
It's my all time most favorite movie. I think from the early to mid 60's. Haven't seen a better one yet.
It's British and I think you'd enjoy it. It questions, 'What is reality?'.

----------------
*Carabao forever

*SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SECESSION - YES

*All lives are movie settings, it's what channel you're on that counts. Zatikia

*Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand.
Homer Jaye S.
Go to Top of Page

Mr. Spock
Skeptic Friend

USA
99 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  18:37:48   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Mr. Spock a Private Message
Yes, I'm married, but have been feeling the 7 year itch lately (that's OK, since my wife has been doing the same for the past 5 years). If you are ever in the NC area, and ready for a romantic tryst, I won't tell if you won't . I think that I have a photo on my profile. I actually can dig older women, if they are in decently good shape (a 48 year old recently started working for me, and I have ten times as much in common with her than most women my age or younger. Too bad she's married)...

AHEM! Anyway, I need to check out "Blow Up." It sounds as if it's my kind of thing.

"The amount of noise which anyone can bear stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity." --Schopenhauer
Go to Top of Page

Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular

USA
1447 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  18:57:57   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Tokyodreamer a Private Message
You do know Snake is a man, right?

------------

I am the storm
Sent to wake you from your dreams
Show me your scorn
But you'll thank me in the end
Go to Top of Page

Snake
SFN Addict

USA
2511 Posts

Posted - 08/09/2002 :  20:25:55   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Snake's Homepage  Send Snake an ICQ Message  Send Snake a Yahoo! Message Send Snake a Private Message
quote:

You do know Snake is a man, right?


SHUT UP Tokyo. MYOB
It's a little more complicated than that.
Damn I wish Kil was here.
Anyway, both of you email me and we'll talk.

----------------
*Carabao forever

*SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SECESSION - YES

*All lives are movie settings, it's what channel you're on that counts. Zatikia

*Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand.
Homer Jaye S.
Go to Top of Page

Boron10
Religion Moderator

USA
1266 Posts

Posted - 08/10/2002 :  07:52:54   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Boron10 a Private Message
quote:
You do know Snake is a man, right?
What makes you say that?

-me.
Go to Top of Page

Chippewa
SFN Regular

USA
1496 Posts

Posted - 08/10/2002 :  12:43:06   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Chippewa's Homepage Send Chippewa a Private Message
A couple more Sci-Fi films might qualify:

"Contact" - Has a religious nut blow up the first alien teleportation machine sent via radio instructions as a gift to Earth. The film also raised some sticky questions for the free-thinking central character (played by Jodie Foster) involving a broader secular definition of "faith". Based on Carl Sagan's thoughtful novel.

"Things to Come" -- British film from the 1930s predicted WWII (and brought laughter from London audience with its depiction of planes dropping bombs in their city.) Ends in the distant future, with the central character giving a stirring speech (written by H.G. Wells) on the necessity of human progress over superstition, while a mob lead by anti-progressives storm a large "space gun." The giant gun is about to blast future travelers to the moon.

On the other side of the coin - "Starship Troppers" could have been a parody of pro-facist propaganda, (with it's wierd future world government TV commercials reminiscent of the nasty "utopian" Earth propaganda from TV's award winning "Babylon 5") -- yet it manages to blur the lines between parody and real propaganda anyway. The film's plot: Religious colonists go to a "bug" planet, where they're not invited, and get killed. Earth attacks the bugs, and the bugs retaliate with asteriods. Earth attacks the bugs again and we're victorious. (That's the movie plot.)

P.S. One from your impressive list: "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" was great! I recommend it highly.

"Speaking without thinking like shooting without aiming." - Charlie Chan

Edited by - chippewa on 08/10/2002 13:14:52
Go to Top of Page

Mr. Spock
Skeptic Friend

USA
99 Posts

Posted - 08/10/2002 :  20:06:27   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Mr. Spock a Private Message
I suspected that s?he might be a man, but I like to engage in a little innocent flirtation nonetheless (most of my friends, not counting the couples we know, are either gay or of ambiguous sexuality. I always dissapoint them with my flagrant hetero orientation, and get a devious rise out of flaunting it. The ones that have a sense of humor appreciate this. Snake is my kind of gu/ay, simply because I suspect he knows what I'm talking about)....Why quibble about the contents of one's pants, especially if it's a totally innocuous tease from the other side of the country? (Have you ever heard of a joke!)
Snake: I know that we will never have a night of inter-generational ecstasy, but don't hold that against me--you are super-bitchen ultra cool. I appreciate the silly banter we have, even if these prudes can't understand.

"The amount of noise which anyone can bear stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity." --Schopenhauer
Go to Top of Page

Lars_H
SFN Regular

Germany
630 Posts

Posted - 08/10/2002 :  20:31:56   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Lars_H a Private Message
quote:

On the other side of the coin - "Starship Troppers" could have been a parody of pro-facist propaganda, (with it's wierd future world government TV commercials reminiscent of the nasty "utopian" Earth propaganda from TV's award winning "Babylon 5") -- yet it manages to blur the lines between parody and real propaganda anyway. The film's plot: Religious colonists go to a "bug" planet, where they're not invited, and get killed. Earth attacks the bugs, and the bugs retaliate with asteriods. Earth attacks the bugs again and we're victorious. (That's the movie plot.)



I am always amazed, when I hear people complaining about the Movie beign possibly understood as real facist propaganda. How can that be? I mean it is not that subtle.

There was a similar problem with the RoboCop movie, where also many people just saw the plot of police officer being rebuild as a cyborg to fight crime and totally missed the whole point of the Movie. Paul Verhoeven seems to have a talent for making good movies wich are greatly apreciated by people who fail to see their point. Movies like Robocop and Starship Troopers are watched by people for the action and special effects and not for their social criticism. Wich is his own fault I guess. Total Recall had some nice philosophical points from the Philp K. Dick short story, but they got almost totally lost among the action. And if Basic Instinct had anything other then Sharon Stone in it I must have missed it.

Go to Top of Page

Snake
SFN Addict

USA
2511 Posts

Posted - 08/11/2002 :  19:26:13   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Snake's Homepage  Send Snake an ICQ Message  Send Snake a Yahoo! Message Send Snake a Private Message
quote:

good movies wich are greatly apreciated by people who fail to see their point

I'm sure that happens all the time, not only with movies but everyday. Everyone is coming from a different back ground, education level and knowledge of the world, etc. And that's how they are viewing things, from their POV.
Sometimes things can be pointed out to a person who may have missed something, only because of lack of knowledge and then they 'get it' but then there are those who will never understand.
I went to IMDB to check the year of the movie I mentioned 'Blow Up', and started to read an endless dribble of pseudo intellectual analysis, some of which was part true. But you'd think I saw a different movie from the way that person was talking about it. Whatever!
So the point is, as a skeptic one has to see for himself and make up his own mind. Input is good but should not be taken as the 'last word'.
And in conclusion:
People are going to see* what they want (from my experiences), there's usualy no way to tell them otherwise**. I don't even try now.
Let them enjoy the movies*** on their own level.
ps. hum, to clear that up, I mean people see(*situations of everyday life in various ways)(**you can tell people but they don't often change their minds once they make a decision, IMO) (*** well, that could be a metaphor for whatever they do in their life but I did mean actually seeing films)

----------------
*Carabao forever

*SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SECESSION - YES

*All lives are movie settings, it's what channel you're on that counts. Zatikia

*Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand.
Homer Jaye S.



Edited by - snake on 08/11/2002 23:14:12
Go to Top of Page

Bradley
Skeptic Friend

USA
147 Posts

Posted - 08/12/2002 :  09:53:35   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Bradley a Private Message
How about "Marjo," made around '70, an expose of revivalism? It was made by Marjo Gortner, who was coached from a very young age by his parents to be a revivalist preacher, and was his first step in quitting the con game and pursuing the honest calling of film maker/actor.

"Too much doubt is better than too much credulity."

-Robert Green Ingersoll (1833 - 1899)
Go to Top of Page

filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 08/12/2002 :  09:58:40   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message
I'd recommend "Name of a Rose." I've finally got to see it. I've read the book (by Umberto Eco) a couple of times (it's better than the flick) and I think that any free thinker might like to check it out.

f

Religion, oh, just another of those numerous failures resulting from an attempt to popularize art.
-- Ezra Pound
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 3 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Previous Page | Next Page
 New Topic  Topic Locked
 Printer Friendly Bookmark this Topic BookMark Topic
Jump To:

The mission of the Skeptic Friends Network is to promote skepticism, critical thinking, science and logic as the best methods for evaluating all claims of fact, and we invite active participation by our members to create a skeptical community with a wide variety of viewpoints and expertise.


Home | Skeptic Forums | Skeptic Summary | The Kil Report | Creation/Evolution | Rationally Speaking | Skeptillaneous | About Skepticism | Fan Mail | Claims List | Calendar & Events | Skeptic Links | Book Reviews | Gift Shop | SFN on Facebook | Staff | Contact Us

Skeptic Friends Network
© 2008 Skeptic Friends Network Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.15 seconds.
Powered by @tomic Studio
Snitz Forums 2000