Reblogger
From now on you'll be able to respond to the posts (just click "comment"). If you would like to start a discussion, email us your thoughts at pheedback@metaphilm.com and we'll post it as soon as possible. We are presently working on a system that will allow users to post on their own (a la Metafilter).

Apes, Guns, and Liberals
Interesting interpretation of The Planet of the Apes. Sounds plausible--actually, kind of scary. Only one glitch. Gun CONTROL is used to control a population, not guns per se. The first gun control laws in the US were in the South, and were aimed at blacks. Predators are at great risk attacking an armed victim and a predator that takes a great risk repeatedly is not a predator for long.
He is dead.

Mob rule, genocide, and government oppression are all vastly more successful against an unarmed populace. Gun control leaves guns in the hands of criminals and government, exclusively (and who can distinguish the two, these days). Law abiding citizens are the only group to surrender their arms--regardless of race.

Consider the venues of genocide in the world today. Do those countries have gun control? Yes. Does the fact that mobs are armed only with machetes prevent the genocide? No. Does the fact that only the armies have guns prevent those armies from slaughtering the civilians they are chartered to protect? No. Would it be harder to perpetrate such atrocities if both sides had guns?? Can your liberal mind think that far outside the box?? That's ok, I didn't think so, but I had to try to open your mind.

Why is it that modern "Liberals", the epitomy of a group marching in lock step, reassuring each other of their misconceptions, think they have a monopoly on openmindedness? Oh yeah, because they keep telling each other they do.

Your friend,
Dave

FYI
phlegm - n. 1. Thick, sticky, stringy mucus secreted by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, as during a cold or other respiratory infection. 2. One of the four humors of ancient and medieval physiology, thought to cause sluggishness, apathy, and evenness of temper. 3. Calm self-possession; equanimity.

cool.

::: metaphilm

Phlegmatic
Philm is supposed to be a visual media. Don't philosophise about it. SHOW it! The mind will interpret by itselph. Your site is just so much phlegm.

Phooey, Atti

More Pheedback
Extremely well done! I loved the treatment of "Fight Club" in particular, which belongs in Cahiers du Cinema at the very least. It's always a pleasure to find good writing and incisive commentary amid the sophomoric babble the Web has dumped on us.

Ernie Jurick
www.dearauntnettie.com/museum

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i just read your theory, and i have to say that i think you are on to something. early on in reading it i came to my own conclusion that you actually had it backwards, 'jack' is actually hobbes, while calvin is personified by tyler. i dunno about susie tho :) that may have been reaching just a little bit far. anyways, great piece, i really enjoyed it.

jer

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Re: Cinema as the New Cathedral of Hollyworld

I have got to tell you this was the most interesting and the most humorous thing I have read in a very long time and I wish to tell you how good a job you did at writing it also. Keep writing

Jon

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Re: Star Wars

What an excellent article. I laughed and laughed and laughed. GREAT JOB!!!

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I have watched a couple of planet of the apes episodes, and I took it to mean...animals mistreated by humans, rebel against their human tormentors...with the underlying message being how would you like to be treated as you treat animals? i.e. animals vrs humans...where did this black vrs white come in?

Amanda Online

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There is so much more than just A1 and steaks. Just think about the topics that were just touched on and not adequately explored. A1 on cold hamburgers, cold pork chops, pretzels and on and on. A1 has sooo many ramifications to the future world. A1 could bring taste bud excitement to a future civilization that has lost the experience of eating. Are there enough preservatives to keep it's flavor undamaged well into the next century? We need to ponder these issues for another year and then publish a report.

Thanks for the chuckle.

K.H.

We humbly agree
*I must say this is one of the most original and thought-provoking sites on the Net today, and I am very glad I stumbled upon your site! Whether the interpretations are accurate or not, I still think this is a great idea and some excellent writing here. The idiot movie critics should be perusing this site to learn something for a change!

Keep up the great work!

- JV

*recent pheedback

Reconsidering "Jack"
*I just read the analysis you did between Calvin and Hobbes (one of my favorite strips, right up there with Bloom County) and Fight Club, and have to applaud your brilliant reasoning. While I never thought of it, after reading your analysis Fight Club does indeed play like a darker, murkier version of Calvin and Hobbes.

I am even considering renting the movie again, to catch some of the points of comparison you brought up.

- BM

*recent pheedback

Ape-plause
*I HAVE ONE WORD, EXCELLENT !
Your connection between D.W.'s epic and this current trash is the best I have seen yet. I am a great fan of the original Ape series. In 1968, it demonstrated the racism that existed in this country,then and now. I will have to say one thing, sometimes when we hold up a mirror to our society, we may not like what we see. At least were looking at the reflection...

- D.M.

*recent pheedback

FYI
su·per·fi·cial - adj. 1) Concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; shallow. 2) Trivial; insignificant.

cli·ché - n. 1) A trite or overused expression or idea. 2) A person or character whose behavior is predictable or superficial.

lib·er·al - adj. 1) Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. 2) Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

soph·o·mor·ic - adj. 1) Of or characteristic of a sophomore. 2) Exhibiting great immaturity and lack of judgment.

Thanks for the phlogging J.S.!

Reprimanded
We appreciate all the pheedback! Keep them coming . . .

*Hi! Generally I enjoy reading the stuff on the site - but I think you guys definitely blew it on this one. This movie was a piece of garbage - but not for the superficial cliche liberal reasons you lashed together.

Please don't make the mistake that so many other sites and publications do - in order to have a LOT of work on the page - not worrying about the quality of the work on the page. Compare potential new posts to the reviews of The Matrix, Fight Club, Shrek, or the like.

This one was sophomoric - and that's putting it nicely.

-JS

*recent pheedback

Space Odyssey Explained
A beautiful flash site interpreting Kubrick's 2001: check it out!

Some Monkey Background
Salon had an informative article ("Too much monkey business") a few weeks ago about the social/political context of the original Planet of the Apes. It's worth a look.

By the way, has anyone seen Ghost World? I viewed it last week. In my humble opinion, it's the best film of the summer. Ghost World is the indie version of The Matrix, and a more honest (and less commercial) version of Fight Club. But enough comparison. Ghost World is a damn good film on its own! Unique. Insightful. Piercing. meta-phantastic! Check it out.

Keeping Score
Is The Score really just a retrospective documentary on Marlon Brando's career? Edward Norton plays young Brando, from Streetcar Named Desire; Robert Deniro, already having played young Brando in The Godfather II, now plays middle aged Brando from Apocalypse Now, and Brando himself plays the self-loathing, father-hating, and failure-admitting gourmoo that he has now unfortunately become. The punchline, "What made you think you were better than me?" is actually Brando's pissed-off retort to the poetic idea that the child is father to the man. Denial, thy name is Marlon. The horror...the horror.