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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) created a post

Jan 18, 2019  
How do you feel about watching tv and movies, or listening to music or podcasts after learning unsavory details about an actor, director, producer, podcaster, or others involved in them? Can you compartmentalize their behavior and enjoy art as art or does it forever ruin it for you? How can we reconcile our love of certain performers and their onscreen personas with their monstrous behavior offscreen?

I find it so frustrating and disappointing when I learn that someone I have admired for decades is a perverted sex monster. I want to be politically-correct and denounce their behavior but it's difficult when they have created art that speaks to me and moves me and that I have loved for years. Some truly talented people have turned out to be terrible people. It's one thing when you've known for years about someone's exploits and abuse, such as in the case of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Those were things I knew about for ages and I avoided their movies. But another thing when it's someone whose work you've admired and respected for years. I don't know how to feel.
     
Show all 15 comments.
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) Jan 21, 2019

In my opinion, they are two totally different aspects of a person's life that should not affect one another in any way.
There are so many creators that I love watching or listening to that I totally disagree with politically, but I am able to separate those things. Just because I disagree with one aspects of a person's opinions or actions, doesn't mean it tarnishes everything that that person has ever done.
George Washington was an incredible man who was fundamental in the battle for American independence over Britain, but he also kept slaves and treated them as animals. Both of these things exist and that's what makes a person whole. As much as we would like to believe that everybody is either purely good or purely evil, that is just not true, there are always shades of grey.
I am not in any way defending any of the despicable things that people like R Kelly and Kevin Spacey are accused of doing, but just because Spacey allegedly preyed on young boys, it doesn't mean that his performance in Se7en isn't still one of the greatest performances ever committed to film.
Another example of this is rap music. I am a huge rap fan and there are rappers that I listen to that brag in their songs using misogynistic language or homophobic slurs, things that I fundamentally disagree with. However, that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate their flow or delivery.
To be honest, I think that it is actually way more healthy to separate these things as an audience member. If I was to stop listening to/watching everyone that had ever been accused of doing something bad by the press, there probably wouldn't be much content left.

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Allison Knapp (118 KP) Jan 21, 2019

I would have to agree with you there. Talent and personal life are definitely two separate matters

Jason X (2001)
Jason X (2001)
2001 | Horror, Sci-Fi
3
5.4 (24 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Laughably bad
I will readily admit to not being a massive fan of the Friday the 13th sequels, especially not some of the more modern ones, and this is possibly one of the worst sequels there is. All manner of logic or plot continuity disappears out of the window for this one. It’s ridiculous from the very start and just gets more laughable as the film goes on. The cast go from the awful and annoying (most of the ‘students’ who’s names I couldn’t even bring myself to pay attention to), to the boringly average. Even the pairing of Lexa Doig and Lisa Ryder, an Andromeda “reunion” as such despite this coming during the time Andromeda was airing isn’t enough to keep this film being anything other than terrible. Lexa Doig especially is given so little to do in this which is a shame as the beginning makes out like she could be a proper kickass hero. And don’t get me started on Jason’s upgrade later on in the film...

This is one of those films that is so bad it’s vaguely entertaining, but not in a good way.
  
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Versusyours (757 KP) Nov 9, 2019

This brings nothing new to the series or genre. It's truly irredeemable

Demon Road
Demon Road
Derek Landy | 2016 | Horror, Paranormal, Thriller, Travel, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A kids book we can all love (0 more)
Pre entertainment where good and evil fight
Derek Landy's 'Skullduggery Pleasant' series is great. i read them to my son, so when Demon road came out I got it for him and he recommended I read it too. I was pleasantly surprised, Landy has created a trilogy that is brilliant and very cinematic.

This takes place in our world and in our world are demons, some of whom have made deals with high demons for powers and in return has to do terrible things as payment. The lead character is the daughter of such demons but is a normal girl...until she hits puberty. But then she finds out her parents don't quite have her best interests at heart.

I don't read many teen books unless sent for me to review or because i am reading to my kids but this is a gripping brilliant read. it is so cinematic it deserves to become a movie.

Characters are very strong, the adventure is adrenaline fuelled and its done in a completely non cheesy way. Its brilliant and I went straight to book two afterwards.
  
Downhill (2020)
Downhill (2020)
2020 | Comedy
8
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
404. Downhill. It has terrible reviews. Then i read them, and a lot of them seem to be hating because it's a remake of a foreign film. I didn't see it. But I liked this one, an uncomfortable comedy drama. Looking like the perfect family, Billie and Pete take the kids skiing, yay! Everything is going great, until one day at breakfast, one of the controlled avalanches goes a little out of bounds a bit and feels like a bunch of people are about to buried alive. Spoiler alert... In those seconds were they realize the snow is about to smack em hard, Billie puts her arms around her children and ducks down to protect them, Pete on the other hand, grabs his cell phone and splits, after its all over, the initial shock wears off and now Billie is left with the knowledge of what hubby did in the face of danger. Movie goes on to follow both on now their separate vacations, leading to some funny though uncomfortable situations. Check it out!! Will Ferrell was great as the slowing imploding Pete, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus was great as Billie trying to keep shit together! Filmbufftim on FB
  
Child's Play 2 (1990)
Child's Play 2 (1990)
1990 | Horror
6
7.4 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
An enjoyably stupid step down from the first one
Child's Play 2 picks up pretty much where the first is left off, with Chuckys body being recovered and refurbished ready for a re sell.

Of course it doesn't take long for Chucky to escape, and head off on a murder spree to get back to Andy (the same kid from the first one)

This sequel straight up lacks the same quality that the first one boasts. The acting is pretty terrible for the most part (although it nice to see Twin Peaks veteran Grace Zabriskie), and the movie hasn't aged as well as the first.
It still has it's charms though. Chucky is ten times more foul mouthed than before, and the movie wastes little time in setting him loose.

I found it to be fairly boring for the most part, but the whole final act makes up for it.
The final showdown in a Good Guys factory is absolutely ludicrous, but it's part of what makes this series so iconic, and gives the film much needed boost ensuring that it ends on a high note.
  
Men in Black International (2019)
Men in Black International (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
Meh In Black
A fourth instalment of the MIB series isn’t a film anyone was really crying out for but never the less here it is. Unfortunately its watchable but ultimately quite underwhelming. All though they aren’t a patch on Smith and Jones I thought Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson weren’t actually bad casting and they do successfully replicate the chemistry they had in ‘Thor – Ragnarok’ and certainly try their best but are sadly let down by some pretty weak writing. The plot is messy and convoluted and the humour feeling pretty forced where the original was sharp and snappily written , it’s certainly a job to have any real emotional investment in what is going on . The effects let it down a bit as well with the alien creatures looking as obviously CGI as they did in the over 20 year old original. It’s not terrible though , you can certainly get some enjoyment out of it if you are in the mood for something fast moving and undemanding but you might struggle to remember what it was all about a couple of hours later. Hopefully the franchise ends here.
  
Doom: Annihilation (2019)
Doom: Annihilation (2019)
2019 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Not sure on this one.
Ok so I read the reviews and not many were impressed, I have to agree compared to the first one this wasnt much. On the other hand though I did half enjoy this, was a bit gutted they had alot of people running around like zombies! The monsters were pretty good although nothing like the monsters in the original Doom. I also didn't like the way they turned the story into a ancient thing that was about long before us and they wanted to claim back our world, with a different name and a bit more thought this could have been alot better. I would say give it a watch it wasn't terrible but don't have your heart set on it following up from the first soon because it doesn't. The only good thing was the main women played by Amy Manson, I did enjoy her character. The ending was a bit of a let down also seemed very cliché, keeps it open for a follow on whether or not they find enough of a budget to pull it off or not is another story.