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henrygandorf

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1 hour ago, BrickHorn said:

I enjoyed it. But the film is not really prescient and, honestly, is flattering to the MAGA crowd. Their reaction would be far more idiotic than what is portrayed in the movie. 

I don’t think it was an anti-MAGA crowd movie. It was anti-society. Streep was a liberal president as far as I could tell. Pics of her with Clinton. Rylance was some hybrid of Jobs and Elon (and was as irredeemable as Streep’s and Hill’s characters - all were played fantastically), not some right wing oil executive. It definitely had some MAGA themes with the Don’t Look Up slogan, that played into ongoing anti-vaxxer movements. But I thought the movie was even-handed, and from that perspective was a lot like Idiocracy. I’m right leaning and thought the movie was a hilarious indictment of our American society as a whole, and jabbed equally at both sides. I’m not a fan of our leadership, its predecessors, or anti-vax movements, but still lean that way. If you can’t laugh at yourself and get angry or depressed* over this movie, you’re taking yourself too seriously. 

*It is tragically somewhat true, and otherwise it wouldn’t be a good satire. I mean physically, truly depressed. 

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23 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Loved it.

Jason Orlean : Man... I timed this Molly perfectly.

Wolf Of Wall Street Reaction GIF by Jordan Belfort
 

Hilarious. And I know it was typecast Jonah Hill, but he does it so well. And, for anyone who thinks he’s a one-trick pony, rewatch Peter Brand in Moneyball. 

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3 hours ago, 'stache said:

 

I didn't see it as about climate change only. The problem with climate change is that it is relatively slow, there's not a date or time we can say that it'll officially fuck us all up, it will be incremental, and involve many tragic problem over time. As long as it snows sometimes, senators can carry snowballs into the chamber and say "gotcha." I think you could plug in any crisis that requires scientific expertise to understand. COVID is a better comparison in that regard, in my opinion. It would be pretty damn easy to convince half the country that the scientists' calculations of a comet strike are made up to cause panic for xyz cloak room reasons. The most unrealistic part of the movie is the rally where they looked up and saw the thing and turned on the president. That wouldn't have happened in real life. They would just say the comet is real but it's not actually going to hit, or in some circles, that its an optical illusion using Jewish space lasers. It is very much realistic, no where near the outlandishness of Idiocracy, which was also much funnier because the humor went way beyond social commentary.

I thought both movies were funny. Idiocracy had Dr. Lexus, Brawndo, Beef Supreme, Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho and Stephen Root as a fantastic judge. The reason it seems more outlandish is because it takes place 500 years in the future after Clevon has 50 kids and dumbs down society. 

The comedy here was putting the most laughable elements of today’s society at the absolute forefront and taking all adults out of any position of authority. And the writing and acting did it really well. But if a comet were hurtling toward Earth, the immediacy and urgency would kick in, and we may all still die, but we would have a major unifying factor and work together to redirect it. I’d like to think the opposite would happen from what the movie satirizes.  Maybe I’m too optimistic. 

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7 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

Streep was a liberal president as far as I could tell. Pics of her with Clinton. Rylance was some hybrid of Jobs and Elon (and was as irredeemable as Streep’s and Hill’s characters - all were played fantastically), not some right wing oil executive.

You may be right, and it’s probably why a lot of the gags struck me as incoherent. Streep’s “Don’t Look Up” crowd was clearly right wing populist. And the Musk character was clearly a pro-business laissez faire type at heart, advocating for pure capitalist opportunism over social welfare. Left wing populism is not at all inconceivable, but it would look quite different than the crew that surrounded President Orleans.

If the film tried to be even-handed, the attempt was superficial and fell flat. 

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1 minute ago, 'stache said:

The hats at the rallies were a pretty clear giveaway.

Maybe. But her son was way too hipsterish. And they at least attempted to be even handed with her pic hugging Clinton. And I don’t think a character like Rylance’s would be consorting with a Republican President so openly. I did love that his donation level bought him an all-access pass or whatever Hill referred to it as. 

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Just now, Porterhouse said:

I thought both movies were funny. Idiocracy had Dr. Lexus, Brawndo, Beef Supreme, Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho and Stephen Root as a fantastic judge. The reason it seems more outlandish is because it takes place 500 years in the future after Clevon has 50 kids and dumbs down society. 

The comedy here was putting the most laughable elements of today’s society at the absolute forefront and taking all adults out of any position of authority. And the writing and acting did it really well. But if a comet were hurtling toward Earth, the immediacy and urgency would kick in, and we may all still die, but we would have a major unifying factor and work together to redirect it. I’d like to think the opposite would happen from what the movie satirizes.  Maybe I’m too optimistic. 

You are much more optimistic than me, for sure. I expect that talk radio would say that the announcement was a lie to instill fear and at least 40% of the country would agree. I don't think this country is capable of ever unifying for any reason. You would think a worldwide pandemic would be that moment, especially when humanity was able to accomplish a miracle in a vaccine so quickly. Yet here we are, with all the tools available to put it behind us, and we can't even unify on that topic.  

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1 minute ago, Porterhouse said:

Maybe. But her son was way too hipsterish. And they at least attempted to be even handed with her pic hugging Clinton. And I don’t think a character like Rylance’s would be consorting with a Republican President so openly. I did love that his donation level bought him an all-access pass or whatever Hill referred to it as. 

Trump was friends with the Clintons back then too, plenty of pictures, I think if anything it strengthens the comparison. Having the son as chief of staff is another clear indication, compared to the Trump kids and the powers they were given.

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1 minute ago, 'stache said:

You are much more optimistic than me, for sure. I expect that talk radio would say that the announcement was a lie to instill fear and at least 40% of the country would agree. I don't think this country is capable of ever unifying for any reason. You would think a worldwide pandemic would be that moment, especially when humanity was able to accomplish a miracle in a vaccine so quickly. Yet here we are, with all the tools available to put it behind us, and we can't even unify on that topic.  

We totally unified after 9/11. There is a difference between a comet and certain impending death and a pandemic that is not likely to kill you if you’re smart, and some politicians’ solution to this killed businesses and livelihoods. And I’m not saying that last bit to start an argument. I’m vaxxed, and wish everyone would get vaxxed; I’m saying this in trying to differentiate between unifying factors. 

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5 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Trump was friends with the Clintons back then too, plenty of pictures, I think if anything it strengthens the comparison. Having the son as chief of staff is another clear indication, compared to the Trump kids and the powers they were given.

That’s true. 

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Just now, Red Five said:

Things have changed a bit since then. 

Yep. But I (optimistically) think if we had a comet that would kill us in 6 months, we’d get our shit together. The QAnon folks would probably still be prevalent. 

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I'm with @Porterhouse.

What I got from the movie is that any national issue that arises, half will steadfastly support one side; half the other, regardless of sensibility.

/hopefully not too CR-ish coming up...

Just check out who was anti-vaccine while Trump was finishing out his term compared to now.  Both sides just kind of flipped the second their guy left or took over.

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9 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

What I got from the movie is that any national issue that arises

Not really a national issue.

The primary issue if something like this really happened would be the panic and destruction that would result from people vying to become one of the chosen to go into the mile deep bunkers -- an issue that was barely touched by the movie but would have pretty interesting.   Because the ratio in those bunkers would require one man for every ten women.  I hasten to add that since each man would be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.

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35 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Just check out who was anti-vaccine while Trump was finishing out his term compared to now.  Both sides just kind of flipped the second their guy left or took over.

Congratulations! You just posted the stupidest shit I’ve ever read on Surly. 

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20 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Congratulations! You just posted the stupidest shit I’ve ever read on Surly. 

I'm not sure I follow.  I could take the time to find pro-vac folks on the right while Trump was in office who switched their view and vice-versa.  I never saw the vaccine as political and am fully vaxxed, which is kind of my point.

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1 hour ago, tantric superman said:

Not really a national issue.

The primary issue if something like this really happened would be the panic and destruction that would result from people vying to become one of the chosen to go into the mile deep bunkers -- an issue that was barely touched by the movie but would have pretty interesting.   Because the ratio in those bunkers would require one man for every ten women.  I hasten to add that since each man would be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.

Username and all.

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15 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

I think it’s reflective of the international response to global warming - business and government together don’t have a workable solution.  Just a clown show at this point, and unlikely to be solved without serous repercussions to global society. 

More like business and government aren’t interested in solving the problem until and unless it is beneficial to them in the short term, even though the total destruction of humanly habitable area is the long term and is even worse for them as businesses and politicians.  Because they always have a way to save themselves. 

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3 hours ago, Porterhouse said:

We totally unified after 9/11. There is a difference between a comet and certain impending death and a pandemic that is not likely to kill you if you’re smart, and some politicians’ solution to this killed businesses and livelihoods. And I’m not saying that last bit to start an argument. I’m vaxxed, and wish everyone would get vaxxed; I’m saying this in trying to differentiate between unifying factors. 

The comet of certain death is pretty clearly indicative of climate change. Some other stuff maybe covid related but the messages about 100% certainty of death are climate change.

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3 hours ago, 'stache said:

Trump was friends with the Clintons back then too, plenty of pictures, I think if anything it strengthens the comparison. Having the son as chief of staff is another clear indication, compared to the Trump kids and the powers they were given.

uh yeah, pretty sure that was the joke. 

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1 hour ago, hobbes2702 said:

The comet of certain death is pretty clearly indicative of climate change. Some other stuff maybe covid related but the messages about 100% certainty of death are climate change.

Huh?

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29 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

Huh?

The comet clearly represents climate change. The discussion of its certainty at colliding with earth was the point. The movie wasn’t about covid except maybe tangentially. Climate change is a 100% certainty whereas covid has never been. 
 

Edited to say that the 100% is of death not whether or not climate change/covid is real. It is a 100% certainty that without action climate change will kill humanity. 

Edited by hobbes2702
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3 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

 It is a 100% certainty that without action climate change will kill humanity. 

Really not trying to go CR here, but of all the dire predictions for the consequences of climate change that get tossed around, I have never read anything predicting climate change as an extinction level event for humanity. So… can you point me in the direction of those claims, as I would like to read and consider that information? 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Guadaloopy said:

Really not trying to go CR here, but of all the dire predictions for the consequences of climate change that get tossed around, I have never read anything predicting climate change as an extinction level event for humanity. So… can you point me in the direction of those claims, as I would like to read and consider that information? 

image.jpeg.a7fb8e57b98cc4f8b6c195c671e50476.jpeg

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12 hours ago, 'stache said:

Trump was friends with the Clintons back then too, plenty of pictures, I think if anything it strengthens the comparison. Having the son as chief of staff is another clear indication, compared to the Trump kids and the powers they were given.

That + her son commenting on how hot she was/ "if she wasn't my mother" gave me some strong Don/Ivanka vibes too

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On 12/26/2021 at 9:30 PM, utxmike05 said:

You must not know how serious Leo is off screen about global warming, earth, etc… Jabbing at those who take it lightly and how dysfunctional/disconnected some have become is right up his alley. 

This was the best satire of the movie. 
 

Private Jets and 30k+ sq ft  of residential living space screams front lines. 

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10 hours ago, Guadaloopy said:

Really not trying to go CR here, but of all the dire predictions for the consequences of climate change that get tossed around, I have never read anything predicting climate change as an extinction level event for humanity. So… can you point me in the direction of those claims, as I would like to read and consider that information? 

 

 

To your point, I think this movie did a great job of striking a balance between something intentional and thoughtfully serious treated with comedy, like The Big Short, and something so obviously satirical and in the theatre of the absurd like Idiocracy. I think it landed right in the middle, as there was obviously a moral to the story but it was also a wink and nod that the circumstances are being exaggerated for effect (especially Ron Perelman’s character who for me was hands down the funniest).

That said I thought the movie was funny and good. I think those taking the movie so seriously they are depressing themselves or couldn’t find the outsized humor are either trying to hard to make this movie more of a moral/political film than was intended which is probably a personality issue that extends in all things in life.  Leo was good, JLaw was good, and Jonah should get a best supporting nod for my money. 

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11 hours ago, Guadaloopy said:

Really not trying to go CR here, but of all the dire predictions for the consequences of climate change that get tossed around, I have never read anything predicting climate change as an extinction level event for humanity. So… can you point me in the direction of those claims, as I would like to read and consider that information? 

You're leaving out the second clause - without action. Just like in the film, we have still have time to make last ditch efforts even as disaster comes towards us. But the longer we wait, the slimmer the odds of a good outcomes. And it's profitable to put it off.

But we're seeing major climate change affects already. Remember last February? Normally jetstreams keep those arctic winds in check, but the increase in global temp weakened the jetstreams and allowed the artic front to plaster us. Shit is gonna continue to get more and more extreme as more energy enters our climate system but doesn't leave.

 

I really liked the movie and it's dark humor. The ultra-wealthy all fucking off after they greedily drove their planet to disaster was a little too on the nose, though

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27 minutes ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

What winking and nodding do you think was taking place re exaggerated circumstances? 

The weirdo technocrat billionaire and his algorithm that showed the President being killed by an unknown-at-the-time creature, for one. That’s obviously a caricature of real life billionaires and the techno-billionaire aesthetic.
 

And I guess that was it— the stand-in’s for topicality were all caricatures which made the film extremely funny. It wasn’t outlandish or absurd like characters of Idiocracy and the caricatures were pretty obviously modeled off of real life characters and situations, but amped up a bit for comedic reasons which worked in my opinion. The callous and vulgar nepotism of Jonah hill and his bro attitude was hilarious (I died at calling Jlaw “boy with the dragon tattoo” among others) and Ron Perelman’s overt and ham-handed racism was hilarious as was everyone’s “he’s of a different generation” mush mouthed defense of it.

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19 minutes ago, TurkeyChew said:

The weirdo technocrat billionaire and his algorithm that showed the President being killed by an unknown-at-the-time creature, for one. That’s obviously a caricature of real life billionaires and the techno-billionaire aesthetic.
 

And I guess that was it— the stand-in’s for topicality were all caricatures which made the film extremely funny. It wasn’t outlandish or absurd like characters of Idiocracy and the caricatures were pretty obviously modeled off of real life characters and situations, but amped up a bit for comedic reasons which worked in my opinion. The callous and vulgar nepotism of Jonah hill and his bro attitude was hilarious (I died at calling Jlaw “boy with the dragon tattoo” among others) and Ron Perelman’s overt and ham-handed racism was hilarious as was everyone’s “he’s of a different generation” mush mouthed defense of it.

Boy with the dragon tattoo was incredible and had me dying

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19 minutes ago, TurkeyChew said:

The weirdo technocrat billionaire and his algorithm that showed the President being killed by an unknown-at-the-time creature, for one. That’s obviously a caricature of real life billionaires and the techno-billionaire aesthetic.
 

And I guess that was it— the stand-in’s for topicality were all caricatures which made the film extremely funny. It wasn’t outlandish or absurd like characters of Idiocracy and the caricatures were pretty obviously modeled off of real life characters and situations, but amped up a bit for comedic reasons which worked in my opinion. The callous and vulgar nepotism of Jonah hill and his bro attitude was hilarious (I died at calling Jlaw “boy with the dragon tattoo” among others) and Ron Perelman’s overt and ham-handed racism was hilarious as was everyone’s “he’s of a different generation” mush mouthed defense of it.

Ok, I see you are referring to the actual characters, rather than the overall circumstances facing the characters, which they creators of the film have been extremely clear about.

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13 hours ago, Guadaloopy said:

Really not trying to go CR here, but of all the dire predictions for the consequences of climate change that get tossed around, I have never read anything predicting climate change as an extinction level event for humanity. So… can you point me in the direction of those claims, as I would like to read and consider that information? 

Read this:

image.png.7ba4223af4b8f8e92829729be5008e5f.png

And it won't just be humanity that kicks, likely 90% plus/minus of all living things, if the past is any indication of our future.

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15 minutes ago, Reynolds Woodcock said:

Ok, I see you are referring to the actual characters, rather than the overall circumstances facing the characters, which they creators of the film have been extremely clear about.

Oh yea sorry my bad, but to your point, a cataclysmic and existential “climate event” where you have 6 months until 97% odds of extinction is an exaggerated premise for the real world climate change situation we are in, as of press time.
 

So while I think that climate change is potentially existential and an extinction-level threat for us, eventually, it’s obviously not upon us like it was in the film.

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9 hours ago, TurkeyChew said:

Oh yea sorry my bad, but to your point, a cataclysmic and existential “climate event” where you have 6 months until 97% odds of extinction is an exaggerated premise for the real world climate change situation we are in, as of press time.
 

So while I think that climate change is potentially existential and an extinction-level threat for us, eventually, it’s obviously not upon us like it was in the film.

Oh yeah, that's how satire works!

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