WAR ROOM LOUNGE V12: Mao With Noir

[Trotsky]

National Review with a pretty funny (to me) takedown of Trump. And it's from a posture that will likely resonate with economic right-wingers here.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump-administration-announces-aid-to-farmers-hurt-by-tariffs/

 

[HomerThompson]

To me, a hipster is someone who mindlessly cosigns trends, so to like mediocre films just because others say they are good and deeper than they are is hipster to me.

This part of your post is unbearably hipster.

 

[Jack V Savage]

There is bad work out there, for sure. As far as the Sopranos I thought Eddie Falco was great (almost as good as JG) and I thought Michael Imperioli was wonderful as well. A lot of the other characters ended up as stereotypical been there done that type mobsters, so I feel you there.

Good comparison on the GF 2. And let no one mention from this point forward the GF 3 (just atrocious).

Man, I couldn't get into the Sopranos. Just tried a couple of years ago. A lot of people I respect (real people and critics I've read) praised the shit out of it, and I really wanted to like it. I didn't *dislike* it, but I was expecting to be as good as the Wire or Breaking Bad or something. Just didn't have much of an impact. I think part of it is that shows have gotten a lot better since it first aired, in part because of it so you just can't recreate the experience of having watched it when it came out.

The Godfather was legitimately an all-time great movie, IMO. Not in my personal top 10, but of that quality. I'm embarrassed to say I never saw Part 3.

 

[kpt018]

I'm not sure I know who Eddie is yet. I've only seen 3 episodes.

Fucking auto. Should be Edie. She plays Carmella, Tony's wife. She's amazing in the show.

Also, it's cool that you don't like mob films, but hold off judgement if you've only watched 3 episodes!

 

[waiguoren]

The first one is mocking the notion that everyone with the same racial background is responsible for the crimes of individuals by showing how absurd it would be if the thinking were applied to whites and the second is just straightforwardly saying that it's stupid. Same point made in different ways. Do you disagree with the point?

Actually, it seems you are right. I checked the original article. The title is clickbait, like everything else these days. Good catch.

 

[Gregolian]

Sopranos sucked by the way.

Come at me.

 

[HereticBD]

Man, I couldn't get into the Sopranos. Just tried a couple of years ago. A lot of people I respect (real people and critics I've read) praised the shit out of it, and I really wanted to like it. I didn't *dislike* it, but I was expecting to be as good as the Wire or Breaking Bad or something. Just didn't have much of an impact. I think part of it is that shows have gotten a lot better since it first aired, in part because of it so you just can't recreate the experience of having watched it when it came out.

Shows have not gotten better than The Sopranos. It was top tier then, and it's top tier now. Other than a personal problem with the style, or subject matter, it would tough to criticize in any objective way. It's about as flawless as it gets.

 

[waiguoren]

Really gotta wonder where @waiguoren came up with that. I suspect the answer would reveal more about the dude than he wants us to know.

Can't remember, but probably one of the right-wing sites such as the_donald. I like to browse the extremes like The Root and Huffington Post and Stormfront. I'm a fan of crazy, always have been. Amanda Marcotte is one my favorites.

 

[kpt018]

Man, I couldn't get into the Sopranos. Just tried a couple of years ago. A lot of people I respect (real people and critics I've read) praised the shit out of it, and I really wanted to like it. I didn't *dislike* it, but I was expecting to be as good as the Wire or Breaking Bad or something. Just didn't have much of an impact. I think part of it is that shows have gotten a lot better since it first aired, in part because of it so you just can't recreate the experience of having watched it when it came out.

The Godfather was legitimately an all-time great movie, IMO. Not in my personal top 10, but of that quality. I'm embarrassed to say I never saw Part 2.

I loved the Sopranos, but no way I can put it up against the Wire or Breaking Bad (two best shows ever imo). Maybe your expectations were too high based on critics who may be over-praising it. I fully admit that I get sucked into the whole gangster genre. Scarface is objectively bad and still I love it, so I am biased here (trying to be objective though).

Man, you should watch part 2. Definitely worth while if you enjoyed the first (not as good as the first, though, but the flashbacks to young Vito played by a young Di Nero are awesome).

 

[Gregolian]

This part of your post is unbearably hipster.

He's whipping out the scarf with that post

 

[HomerThompson]

I agree about the Sopranos, though. I only watched the first 2 1/2 seasons and I lost interest.

 

[Gregolian]

I agree about the Sopranos, though. I only watched the first 2 1/2 seasons and I lost interest.

I've tried to watch it three separate times.

First time I finished the first season and lost interest

Second time I got halfway through

Third time I got like two episodes in and was like "this is fucking stupid" and haven't tried again.

 

[Trotsky]

This part of your post is unbearably hipster.

Clearly I don't understand how other people use this term. How can a hipster be a hipster if he's not hip to trends?

Man, I couldn't get into the Sopranos. Just tried a couple of years ago. A lot of people I respect (real people and critics I've read) praised the shit out of it, and I really wanted to like it. I didn't *dislike* it, but I was expecting to be as good as the Wire or Breaking Bad or something. Just didn't have much of an impact. I think part of it is that shows have gotten a lot better since it first aired, in part because of it so you just can't recreate the experience of having watched it when it came out.

The Godfather was legitimately an all-time great movie, IMO. Not in my personal top 10, but of that quality. I'm embarrassed to say I never saw Part 3.

In terms of quality, I don't think anything touches Breaking Bad season 4 (although season 2 is my personal favorite, since it's a bit lighter). The first four seasons of The Wire were very, very good, but I understand why it didn't/does't resonate with everyone.

I do think Omar Little was one of the most daring characters ever written into a TV show (a gay, black, armed robber anti-hero) and Stringer Bell was a Shakespearean tragic hero (although I wish they would have explored that a little more in depth, instead of rushing that aspect of the character into the last few episodes).

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

That was a disappointing scene. I knew of it before watching and was expecting it to be really climactic and moving. It was not. In fact the pacing of the whole thing dragged on to me .



I'm not sure I know who Eddie is yet. I've only seen 3 episodes.



I'm not sure how this fits.....especially considering persons in those films wear fedoras.

To me, a hipster is someone who mindlessly cosigns trends, so to like mediocre films just because others say they are good and deeper than they are is hipster to me.

One person in the show wears one and he was a senior mafioso

And hipster in my area of the world is someone who dislike something based on its popularity -- it's not an American love affair, the show is massively popular and praised all over the world. It's also not a paint by numbers mob show - the majority of it deals with how a mob boss deals with family life (raising kids, dealing with his own upbringing, financial planning, etc)

 

[Gregolian]

Shows have not gotten better than The Sopranos. It was top tier then, and it's top tier now. Other than a personal problem with the style, or subject matter, it would tough to criticize in any objective way. It's about as flawless as it gets.

The Wire is better.

 

[Jack V Savage]

I loved the Sopranos, but no way I can put it up against the Wire or Breaking Bad (two best shows ever imo). Maybe your expectations were too high based on critics who may be over-praising it. I fully admit that I get sucked into the whole gangster genre. Scarface is objectively bad and still I love it, so I am biased here (trying to be objective though).

Yes, could be that (overpraised). I liked Goodfellas, but it was too damned long, and it's not like there wasn't shit they could have cut.

Man, you should watch part 2. Definitely worth while if you enjoyed the first (not as good as the first, though, but the flashbacks to young Vito played by a young Di Nero are awesome).

Actually, I think I did see Part 2 (before 1) but don't have much recollection of it. Definitely didn't see 3. I only saw Part 1 in 2008.

 

[HomerThompson]

Clearly I don't understand how other people use this term. How can a hipster be a hipster if he's not hip to trends?

To me a hipster is anti-pop culture. They're into a band that you've never even heard of, and foreign films you've never even heard of. And, of course, they can name 10 French films that are all better than The Godfather.

Your post reeked of hipster crap. "People who think a mediocre film is deeper than it really is because other people say so."

I mean, honestly man.

 

[Gregolian]

Seriously, I've never seen a show better than The Wire.

Season 1 hasn't aged that well in terms of the way the cinematics look and some of the acting is a bit silly but the overall message of the whole series and Bubbles' journey is top tier.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Shows have not gotten better than The Sopranos. It was top tier then, and it's top tier now. Other than a personal problem with the style, or subject matter, it would tough to criticize in any objective way. It's about as flawless as it gets.

Without getting into an argument about the Sopranos specifically, shows in general have gotten better since that time, so the impact would be smaller, even if one grants that the Sopranos is still top tier. When you look at TV dramas that comprise the top tier IYO, how many preceded the Sopranos and how many followed it?

 

[kpt018]

One person in the show wears one and he was a senior mafioso

And hipster in my area of the world is someone who dislike something based on its popularity -- it's not an American love affair, the show is massively popular and praised all over the world. It's also not a paint by numbers mob show - the majority of it deals with how a mob boss deals with family life (raising kids, dealing with his own upbringing, financial planning, etc)

Yes, and the primary personal story line is Tony's therapy resulting from his terrible relationship with his mother!