I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob.

Is there anyone out there that doesn't love Television Without Pity? Well, okay, except those freaks who don't like television at all, is there anyone out there who doesn't like TWOP? That site is fabulous. I tried once to read some of the copy-cats and while they were entertaining, they were nothing like the full-on 14+-page recap of an hour's worth of TV. I even read their recaps of shows I'd never watch EVER, such as Seventh Heaven. Okay, maybe I watched it once, but not ever again! I swear.

So today I was reading awesome Jacob's recap of last week's Battlestar Galactica (yes, I'm a dork) when I came across this gem, "everything that happens has the immediacy and the viscerality of life, and none of the follow-through of fiction." I had to immediately cut and paste.

You see, it's a semi-sickening, somewhat endearing fact that every single time Beard Boy and I watch a movie, and we do watch a lot of movies, thanks Netflix!, regardless of genre or artistic merit, we end up having the exact same discussion. No matter where we start the discussion off, we could be talking about something as mundane as what other movies a particular actor was in, but somehow we always end up with me arguing for realism and him arguing for storytelling principles. We do try to vary it a bit by citing different examples and applying it to different movies, but really, this is The Discussion. I wonder what that means about us? Heh. Heh.

For example, after viewing High Tension a week or so ago, we both started off by ranting and raving about the bull-fucking-shit ending the director, Alexandre Aja, pulled on us. Let me tell you, we were PISSED, PO-ed, hacked off, aaangry. We spent a good half hour, maybe more, bitching about what an utter disappointment that movie was and finally came to the conclusion that nothing is quite so upsetting in the movie watching realm than to have such a well-made, extremely promising movie wait until 4/5ths of the way through and then just turn around and take a dump in your DVD player with some made-up, cheating, stupid-ass ending. Seriously. Did I mention PISSED? Which doesn't bode well for that new Hills Have Eyes movie does it? Anyway. We were having said big frenzied discussion about how hard it is to make a good horror/slasher flick and what people do to make them terrible and blah de blah when of course I strayed into the its-got-to-be-something-the-viewer-can-relate-to realm and BAM we were off. Again with my, it's better when it's more true to life and screw the neat little bows and always with his the characters have to make some sort of arc for me to be invested. Clearly an argument that will never be settled between us. But it's good, it's nice that we don't agree on everything because how can you have discussions with a person everyday when all you say is, "Wow. I totally agree. Next?" Bor-ing.

Yes, I'm glad we discuss. In fact, just last night we had a great conversation going that ended so beautifully.

BB: "If that were true, then a person with an IQ of 40 could become president."

<pause>

Me: "Aha! Slam dunk!"

Point? Nah, not today. I'm too excited about going home tonight (Friday night, I might add), ordering a pizza and watching the season finale of Battlestar. You know, I don't think I've been this in love with a TV show since 7th He21 Jump Street.

Ha! I've just outed myself as a geek AND old. Good one, Peter.

Illustration from Gaping Void.

Comments

[Alejo]

You make us sound so predictable; just for the record, we don't ALWAYS have that same argument, because not all movies merit that argument (ex. - Bad News Bears).

That aside, it is strangely comforting to know you harbor the same grudge against that movie that I do. Bastards.