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In this week's episode, the guys review the 2010 CGI cartoon Planet Sheen.Get bonus CDD content at the Patreon!Visit the website!Support the show
Excited about The Creator? So are we! We hope it's a smart blockbuster with breath-taking action and some confronting ideas. Not just a pile of rapidly dated CGI with mere lip service paid to important questions about AI...I, Robot! Featuring: The wiki wild wild robot future. More Pauls! https://facebook.com/ogtpod https://twitter.com/ogtpod We have a Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ogtpod – sign up for exclusive content for as little as $1 a month. Listen to Salt's show Jen and the Film Critic with OGT guest and deep friend Jen Blundell here! Like d&d? Want more Pauls? Into nerd shit AND jokes about bums? Why not check out our d&d actual play podcast, Quest Fantastic? https://shows.acast.com/quest-fantastic link.chtbl.com/questfantastic RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/61d8e6b335501c0012b6c367 Goodman's EP 'Future Music' is out now! Find out where you can stream and purchase here: Future Music by Run//Phase (songwhip.com)
We start with a quick recap of the MNF doubleheader, should the tush push be banned and is Joe Burrow back? Sort of (00:00:00-00:13:45). We then hear Hank's lighthouse presentation filled with facts and anecdotes and fake CGI pictures (00:13:45-00:39:55). Hot Seat/Cool Throne including Tyreek Hill doing porn, is Aaron Rodgers thinking about Big Cat and more (00:39:55-00:56:39). Andy Staples joins us in studio to catch up on CFB, who's the most aggrieved, is Bama going to be ok, the Pac 12 being incredible, Dabo's issues and tons more (00:56:39-01:51:48). We have 1 question with a fullback with Texans Andrew Beck who returned a kickoff over the weekend (01:51:48-02:04:31) we then finish with Jimbos (02:04:31-02:11:13).You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/PardonMyTake
Robert Winfree and Mark Radulich present their The Expendables 4 2023 Movie Review!Expend4bles (also known as The Expendables 4) is a 2023 American action film that is the fourth installment in The Expendables film series, following The Expendables 3 (2014). The film stars an ensemble cast including Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture reprising their roles from previous films, with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy García joining the cast. It is directed by Scott Waugh from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams, based on a story by Spenser Cohen, Wimmer, and Daggerhart.The Expendables 4 was released in China on September 15, 2023, and in the United States a week later, by Lionsgate. The film received largely negative reviews from critics, with much of the criticism focusing on the lackluster cast, plot, violence and the poor CGI effects, and has grossed $21 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsoFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulich
Grant Miller is a Partner and an Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. Grant brings a deep level of technical and artistic acumen to his role as Executive VFX Supervisor at Ingenuity Studios. He oversees the studio's CG, FX, and Pipeline teams, ensuring that final results meet the exacting demands of sophisticated clients. Working closely with directors and creative decision-makers, Grant provides guidance and methodology during preproduction, supervision on set, and ensures seamless collaboration and high-quality results through post. Over the years, Grant has supervised visual effects for a long list of notable clients, including episodic television shows such as The Night Agent, The Orville, The Boys, and Westworld; films such as Get Out and A Star is Born; music videos for Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga; and Super Bowl commercials for Fox Sports. Grant got his start working in video games in 2007, a background that he pulls from as the industry moves toward real-time VFX. Based in Los Angeles, Grant is a member of the Visual Effects Society and Film Independent. He received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Promotional in 2017, and is frequently called upon to share insights at industry events and conferences. In this Podcast, Allan McKay interviews VFX Supervisor and Partner at Ingenuity Studios Grant Miller about how up-and-coming Artists can launch their career: the importance of following your dreams, how to train your eye in visual effects, why keeping it simple always wins and some job interview red flags. For more show notes, visit www.allanmckay.com/422.
Put on your duffle coat and don't forget your marmalade sandwiches... for this episode we dive into 2017's Paddington 2, the First Paddington (cinematic) sequel. We discuss earnest ursines, CGI, Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Peter Capaldi, crying in movies, sincerity, and popping books! Plus, we get into the Garfbug Report and play some I See What You Did There.Email us! Have a comment? Want to dress us down publicly? Have a First for us? Just wanna try to convince Kelly to play a video game? debutbuddies@gmail.comListen to Kelly and Chelsea's awesome horror movie podcast, Never Show the Monster.Get some sci-fi from Spaceboy Books.Get down with Michael J. O'Connor's music!Next time: First Jack-o'-Lantern
Kevin Reste is a font of knowledge for companies looking to improve their creative initiatives and campaigns. Beginning his career with mocap for the Rock Band video games, Kevin's natural people skills and technical confidence have helped him secure work for companies including NBC Sports, Sony Music Entertainment, and WWE, as well as giant financial and pharmaceutical corporations. Chris catches up with fellow THU attendee Kevin, talks about his career so far, and offers some tips on getting ahead in the creative industry and staying on top of technological trends. Kevin also gives some invaluable insights into how AI is affecting the industry for newcomers, established artists, and big tech companies.
It's time for Frankenstein to get Reborn... again! Join us this week for Asylum Pictures' take on Frankenstein before they formed a symbiotic relationship with the Syfy Channel to create a never-ending series of CGI shark movies. Join us as we get really into nu-metal, completely misunderstand our job as a court mandated psychologist, and practice our best Anakin Skywalker NOOOOOO! Please rate, review, and tell your fiends. And be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future installments. Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/thefrankencast. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram @thefrankencast or send us a letter at thefrankencast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you! Your Horror Hosts: Anthony Bowman (he/him) & Eric Velazquez (he/him). Cover painting by Amanda Keller (@KellerIllustrations on Instagram).
Join Fred Oakman and Jake Peters in this milestone episode of "PS This is Awesome!" as they unpack the latest PlayStation State of Play event and a lot more:The hosts dive into the PlayStation State of Play, covering exciting game reveals and news.They debate Alan Wake 2's lengthy gameplay (over 20 hours) and unique save mechanics, along with its digital-only release on 10/27.Fred and Jake talk about the surprising move of Death Stranding coming to the iPhone 15 Pro.They discuss the latest PS5 firmware update, featuring Dolby Atmos and support for larger SSDs (up to 8 TB).The hosts share their excitement for the CGI trailer of "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty," featuring Idris Elba.They cover the upcoming 2.0 update (9/21/23) and "Phantom Liberty" DLC release (9/26/23) for Cyberpunk 2077.Sadly, they touch on layoffs at Ascendant Studios due to poor sales of Immortals of Aveum.Fred and Jake end on a positive note, talking about the reimagined "Contra: Operation Gulaga."Introducing our Patreon page at www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome, where you can gain exclusive early access to our podcast episodes. As a Patreon supporter, you'll be at the forefront of our gaming discussions, getting a sneak peek of our latest content before anyone else.But that's not all – by joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.Personalized Shoutout: As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'll give you a special shoutout during one of our podcast episodes, acknowledging your contribution and dedication to our show.Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn't quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here! As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome 0:00 - INTRO29:49 - GAMES WE'RE PLAYING36:10 - LISTENER FEEDBACK46:15 - PLAYSTATION STATE OF PLAY DISCUSSION1:08:03 - ALAN WAKE GAME LENGTH1:18:50 - DEATH STRANDING COMES TO IOS1:20:00 - PS5 FIRMWARE UPDATE DISCUSSION1:25:14 - NEW PHANTOM LIBERTY TRAILER1:29:30 - ASCENDENT STUDIOS LAYS OFF HALF THEIR TEAM1:37:05 - A NEW CONTRA GAME ENTERS THE ARENA1:38:09 - NEW GAMES1:39:27 - CLOSING Support PS This is Awesome! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome back to another roaring episode of Bad Dads Film Review, where the stakes are high and the dinosaurs are... well, life-sized!Alright Dads, we're hopping in the time machine today, not to the era of neon shirts or cassette tapes, but much, much further. We're going to an island where the impossible becomes possible: the magical, the mythical, the legendary – Jurassic Park.You remember the first time you heard that resonant T-Rex roar, right? Or the shimmering ripples in the glass of water? Those Velociraptors in the kitchen? Spielberg didn't just serve us a film; he handed over a cinematic experience that has been etched into our minds forever. It's about more than just a bunch of dinos on the loose; it's a tale of ambition, nature vs. science, and, of course, the timeless lesson that just because we can doesn't mean we should.And let's take a moment for that iconic score by John Williams. Doesn't it give you chills every time? Whether it's the grandiose theme when we first see the park or the suspenseful tones during T-Rex's debut, the music is a character in itself.But, for all the cinematic majesty of "Jurassic Park", there are Dad moments too. Dr. Alan Grant's transformation from a dino-expert who's not too fond of kids, to a pseudo-dad who's quite literally holding their hands through the dangers of a dino-infested park? Heartwarming and utterly relatable!And, speaking of kids, remember trying to get them to watch this masterpiece? The mix of wonder and "Dad, why did they go into the park in the first place?" questions. It's a rite of passage in the Dad's movie handbook.So, grab your safari hat, maybe a flare or two (just in case), and join us on this prehistoric journey. Let's dive deep into "Jurassic Park", chat about our favorite scenes, the groundbreaking CGI, and why it remains a cinematic gem nearly 30 years later. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle and hold on tight; it's gonna be a wild ride here at Bad Dads Film Review!
There's a lot happening in New York City this week. One of the big events is the Clinton Global Initiative, where Shari Rudolph is as her organization, Good360, made a commitment toward reducing waste and community needs. She talks about everything happening at the CGI, plus the biggest marketing and communications news of the week, including the U.N. General Assembly, United Airlines promoting Josh Earnest, Lisa Ross taking a leave of absence from Edelman, other major people moves and much more. Follow us: @PRWeekUSReceive the latest industry news, insights, and special reports. Start Your Free 1-Month Trial Subscription To PRWeek
It's time for a Creature that neither Brian or Jerome had seen. We talked about Stephen Sommers earlier in the year when discussing The Mummy, but before that he directed a lesser known monster movie that has a killer cast. Shades of Jaws, mixed with Predator with a little hint of Tremors, and you get Deep Rising. Does the 1998 CGI hold up? Well, at least the script does.
Diving deep into the ‘80s filmography of one of our favorite actors, we discuss the unique performance style of Christopher Walken; his sense of humor, sense of menace, skills as a dancer, the many commercial failures he made as a leading man during this decade, and why we think all his '80s movies are all worthy of revisiting. Along the way, we get into many cultural aspects of the decade: Madonna power ballads, the Roger Moore era of James Bond, Golan-Globus fairly tale musicals, pre-CGI special effects, actors who say "yes" to every role, and real-life alien abductions.
“How is adding Kelsey Grammer to this a thing at all?” - Eric On this week's episode, the guys are dodging CGI explosions left and right as they talk about the total wet fart of an action film, The Expendables 3! Why couldn't they budget for some actual explosions? Why didn't this wind up being more of a Wesley Snipes movie? Why did the writers think this movie needed all the Expendables Jr. characters? And what on EARTH were they thinking with this PG-13 rating? PLUS: Sly puts out an album full of t.v. theme song covers! The Expendables 3 stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kelsey Grammer, Glen Powell, Antonio Banderas, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz, Jet Li, Robert Davi, and the great Wesley Snipes as Doc; directed by Patrick Hughes. Want more WHM? Join our Patreon fam today and instantly unlock hours and hours of exclusive bonus content, including Ad-Free WHM Prime at the $8 level and up! Be sure to get in early and get your tickets for the WHM Holiday Extravaganza where we're talking The Santa Clause! Check out the WHM Merch Store featuring new Polish Decoy, ‘Jack Kirby', and Forrest the Universal Soldier designs!
Did you love James Cameron's Avatar upon its release in 2009? Have you since watched it and thought, huh, now what were we thinking 14 years ago? Were you critical of it from the start? Baffled by the public's interest in colonialism and hot blue aliens? Then this episode is for you.Tune in for a conversation about this beloved sci-fi blockbuster. Hannah leads Marcelle talk colonialism, sexism, marketing budgets and how the interests of white dude billionaires drives our reality. Together, they discuss Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin's iconic 2000 book Remediation: Understanding New Media to better understand hypermediacy's role in this film's success. Ultimately, Hannah comes to some BIG conclusions about this movie and it's lasting impact on not just the zeitgeist, but also our literal planet earth. That's right! There are some pretty devastating ecological impacts of CGI and VFX — and in case you were wondering, yes, this episode is also a lesson on irony!If you like our show, please share it with family and friends! Word-of-mouth is the primary way we reach new listeners who are interested in feminist materialist critique, pop culture and laughing at and from within *the discourse.* Share the show today!***Material Girls is a new show that aims to make sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.We'll be back in two weeks for another episode, but until then, be sure to check out all the bonus content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease. You can learn more about the show at ohwitchplease.ca and on our instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Want more from us? Check out our website ohwitchplease.ca.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is really interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Protect Your Retirement W/ A Gold or Silver IRA https://www.sgtreportgold.com/ or CALL 877-646-5347 Noble Gold is Who I Trust ^^^ This is a SGT special report: Maui's missing kids, 9/11 CGI and the WAR for your mind. And stay tuned for a special bonus at the end, an original SGT Report micro-doc about 9/11 from 2015.
While the 1999 action-adventure classic The Mummy might not top a lot of feminist movie lists, that didn't stop us from finding some feminist elements in it (and due to Samantha's insistence, The Mummy Returns) to talk about. Come along on this sometimes terribly CGI-ed adventure as we discuss the feminism of these movies and the iconic heroine Evie in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Animation Resources is a non-profit with a terrific website where a wealth of creative material awaits you! Members also receive a monthly packet of interesting surprises, both old and new. Director Stephen Worth joins us today to talk about what animation is (very intriguing answers), his background, the origins of Animation Resources, what AI could do for the field, how animation could go so far beyond Disney, and creativity in general. It's a wonderful, thought-provoking episode. With Bill Aho.Animation Resources website:https://animationresources.org/Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:https://www.discreetguide.com/podcast-books-shows-tunes-mad-acts/Follow or like us on podomatic.com (it raises our visibility :)https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/books-shows-tunes-mad-actsSupport us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/discreetguideJennifer on Post.News:@JenCrittendenJennifer on Twitter:@DiscreetGuideJennifer on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkcrittenden/Discreet Guide Training:https://training.discreetguide.com/
Jordan and Don have seen Barbie and share their reactions. They talk about Tom Cruise, bad CGI effects, and Don tells the world that he has fallen down a bad movie rabbit hole that was supposed to stay away from. Don is sorry he swears too much. CANCER SUCKS! Find us on @isceneitpod on Twitter Jordan@jordanwermager Don@WojoDuke. Listen to us On Spotify, Apple, and Stitcher. You can now find us at isceneitpod.org for movie reviews and more. Find out more about Huntington's Disease at HDSA.org Much Love! Watch more movies!
In this episode of Dear Art Producer, host Heather Elder interviews Ali Berk, Director of Art and Print Production at 72andSunny in Los Angeles. Ali shares her fascinating career journey, starting as an intern in the fashion industry at Tommy Hilfiger at a young age, moving through high fashion brands and editorial magazines, and eventually transitioning to the advertising photography side. Listen in as she discusses her role at 72andSunny, where she oversees art production, photography, illustration, CGI, animation, and graphic design, the importance of creating meaningful partnerships between artists and brands, and the value of being deeply involved in the creative process. The conversation also touches on the challenges and opportunities in the current production landscape, with a focus on providing value and creating work that is hard to ignore. In an industry where the rules are always changing, it's helpful to hear from those on the front lines. Heather Elder is the visionary behind NotesFromARepsJournal.com; visit HeatherElder.com for industry updates, stunning photography and video, and the artists behind the work. More about our guest: Find Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-berk-9010636/ More about your host: Heather Elder's Bio Heather Elder's Blog Heather Elder on Instagram Heather Elder on Twitter Heather Elder on LinkedIn Heather Elder on Facebook
We're back at Hogwarts for year 4 and i'm hoping I can finally break the 6/10 trend that has been going on with these films! Unlike the last film, Anita and Chris seemingly have different views on the quality of this installment, so my interest is there but will the enjoyment be there? That is the question. We also have good hearty laughs at the terrible CGI of that baby from Twilight, we discuss our prom memories or really the lack thereof for some of us, Anita gives her review for Die Hard 2 and I have a conspiracy theory about some treachery that Harry Potter may have been on in this film... Support The Show On Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/homevideohustle More Movie Reviews on LetterBoxd - https://letterboxd.com/hvhpodcast/ Check Out Book Reviews on GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/.../168422134-home-video-hustle Watch Us On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfN67zqLBcbJNJw1cHI0Hlw Get HVH Merch - https://www.teepublic.com/user/hvhpodcast Music By: @tradevoorhees - http://tradevoorhees.com/ Promo: Everything I Learned from Movies - https://www.ageofradio.org/everythingilearnedfrommovies/ Support @mikestreeter and @theladymo upcoming film “Clawface” - https://shorturl.at/sRUWX @ageofradioverse Website - https://www.ageofradio.org/homevideohustle/ Be sure to check out untidyvenus.etsy.com and use promo code “HUSTLE” to get 15% off some bomb artwork! @untidyvenus #HomeVideoHustle #Podcast #DeathToSmoochy #PodsInColor #DopeBlackPods #PodernFamily #MoviePodSquad #Movies #Podcast #ageofradioverse #Film #Comedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get ready for an entertaining discussion as we embark on a roller coaster ride through the cinematic universe with Cinematographer Brandon Cox. Listen in as we kick off our chat with our personal experiences of recent movie viewings including Indiana Jones, John Wick 4, and Asteroid City, discussing how we should take film critics with a pinch of salt and enjoy movies for what they are. We also dissect the different rating systems of Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and Letterboxd, and their influence on viewer perception. We then transition into a debate on the shift from film to digital production and its implications on the visual aesthetics of cinema. Discover our thoughts on working with low-budget video equipment, the unique characteristics of Canon 5D versus reversal film, and the influence of CGI on the modern look of films. We also discuss our experiences with different cameras and software, citing examples from movies like Chris Nolan's Batman and Gareth Edwards' latest project. In the latter part of our discussion, we shed light on the importance of understanding and mastering lighting techniques in filmmaking. Hear about Brandon's journey from shooting music videos to high-budget films, his experiences on set with stars like Robert De Niro and Dave Bautista, and his love for action movies. We also touch upon the evolution of lighting technology, the benefits of modern LED panels, and how the use of different tools and techniques have transformed over the years. Don't miss out on our take on film restoration and preservation, the importance of archiving movies, and how streaming services have altered the movie release landscape. So, sit back, relax, and join us on this cinematic journey. (0:00:15) - Film Reviews and Recent Viewings (0:07:01) - Film vs Digital (0:15:32) - Discussion on Film Look and Cameras (0:25:12) - Success in Film School and Cinematography (0:31:41) - Lighting Techniques in Action Filmmaking (0:38:06) - Techniques for Fast and Efficient Lighting (0:44:59) - Evolution of Lighting Technology (0:55:50) - Kino Flo and Astera Tubes (1:07:46) - Experimentation and Learning in Filmmaking (1:15:19) - Discussion on Film Restoration and Technology (1:23:44) - Discussion on Preserving and Restoring Films Follow F&R on all your favorite social platforms! You can directly support Frame & Reference by Buying Me a Coffee Frame & Reference is supported by Filmtools and ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools is the West Coast's leading supplier of film equipment. From cameras and lights to grip and expendables, Filmtools has you covered for all your film gear needs. Check out Filmtools.com for more. ProVideo Coalition is a top news and reviews site focusing on all things production and post. Check out ProVideoCoalition.com for the latest news coming out of the industry.
Sometimes you just have to draw a line. Yeah, ain't that the way these days. I just gotta say some stuff on "The Super Mario Bros. Movie". My issue going into this movie was pure fatigue. It wasn't fatigue from over saturation of blockbusters, I actually don't watch that many blockbusters these days. I just had this sinking feeling every time I saw an ad for this movie. Everyone is going to be talking about this. No one has any reason to like this over anything else. Everyone is going to ask me about this movie a hundred times because they know I like Mario games, and animated features. This may be strange to hear from a guy that does a podcast discussing movies... but I just didn't want to formulate an opinion. I didn't want to watch it. I didn't want to discuss it. I didn't want to have to disagree with people or not be excited for it when they wanted me to be. You may have picked up along the way that I am a fan of animation. I was the kind of kid at age ten to twelve that wasn't quite ready for "Predator". Instead I was hip deep in "The Simpsons", "Earthworm Jim", and "Ren and Stimpy" cartoons. Looking back I think it was less that I only enjoyed comedy and more that I resonated hard with the raw emotional expression of the cartoons that were around in the 90's. I also believe this is what attracted me to anime. A wild array of emotional expression all pulled off with what was at the time, a beautifully minimalist art style. To put that another way. Very few lines in the face that get across specific emotions. Not just angry, or crying, but pensive, nervous or vulnerable, hanging on someones words. That kind of stuff. NUANCE: THERES NO ROOM FOR NUANCE ANYMORE!!! There is nuance in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie". Executed in a way that I have not seen in a hot minute. Family movies or what we used to call "PG-13" type adventure movies are in a very bad place right now. While I'd like to just blame Marvel or Disney while I point and stare holes through them that would not only be too easy, but also wouldn't get to the root issue. The problem is that kids entertainment has to be so strongly separated from adult entertainment by style and tone that they have no room for any real emotional tension. You can have a character say out loud they are frightened... scared, but you cant portray the scene with visceral tension. You cant ever make the kids, or more importantly their hyper vigilant parents, actually feel bad. That is the first issue. The second issue is that blockbusters have slowly consumed the PG-13 space entirely. To the point that when "Deadpool" was announced most of the discussion revolved around it being rated "R". In my opinion "Deadpool" could have easily been every bit as edgy as it was and be a PG-13 movie. Just shoot around the blood a little bit, and bleep a couple of "Fucks" like they did in "The Dark Knight". Tell me "Deadpool" is more emotionally intense than "The Dark Knight". Not on paper. Don't describe to me what happens during Deadpool's origin events, deal with whats on screen. That is how how movies are rated. Not by concept, but by what is shown on camera and how the rater feels about it. No, "Deadpool" was rated "R" because it broke to drastically from the Marvel formula, so it needed to be marketed that way. They anticipated a push back and leaned into it, and it worked. The audience had been too strongly conditioned on tone, and "Deadpool" straight up kills people on camera. Not just crazy villainous space creatures from beyond the moon, but average people. See blockbusters don't destroy cities because they have gone mad with CGI power, they do it because it has a big visual impact, increases the threat of an enemy, and avoids killing individual people on camera. You know people are dying, but you don't have to watch it. Characters die on camera in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie". It isn't grotesque, but its there. Bowser actually destroys things, he actually wants to control someone. He has real goals beyond being evil and he displays the power to make his ambitions a reality. He isn't an obnoxious bumbling oaf that never actually does anything while seeming to hassle the main characters impotently throughout the movie. He blows up a castle, he has plans, he connects to his lackeys. He kinda plays a bit like "Helmet" from "Spaceballs" if he were a jock. He has a personality one can describe and compare to other characters. You can discuss him beyond his action beats. Gold star. Whats the point Tubes? Tie it all up. Ok... ok. The point is that without tension, the characterization in a movie has no foundation to stand on. Whether its a small flick about a kid finding a dog, or a plumber using his parkour skills to help save a kingdom, its all about how you get people invested in a character. I am of the belief that you need some kind of raised stakes to really make a character impactful and stick with your audience. Especially if they are kids. I can see kids really hanging on to this movie. Watching it every few years. Maybe they wont always get the same kick out of the childlike pace, but I dont think they will ever look back on it and consider it a waste of time. They won't ask themselves "Why did I like this so much?" They like it because Mario and Luigi have each other's backs. They don't just say they do, they actually get to show it. Mario and Peach aren't having catty fights about their roles in the movie, or what they do and don't get to do. They work together. They get along pleasantly. They aren't obnoxious. Peach encourages Mario and helps him learn the ropes. Mario isn't the destined hero, or entitled to anything. He even hates mushrooms. He is just someone that is somewhat familiar to Peach, and Peach needs all the help she can get. How nice is it that he's just a guy trying to do his best and he isn't acting dismissive to her so she can prove him wrong later. Or some kind of elementary school horse-shit scripting like that. God I hate movies. At the end of the day, the word is class. I talk often about this with another friend of mine when it comes to gaming. I say Nintendo has class. They usually aren't as crass about hitting the kids up for that next five bucks, and with this movie they've proven once again that they are the only game in town for simple likable characters that offer themselves to the crowd and wait to see what we will gravitate toward. They try to charm us, they don't tell us what they think we want. Have movies become so sanitized that I am going to sit here and tell you that "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" bucks trends and bravely carves out it's own path? Well... yes, yes I am. Because that is exactly what it did. I sat there gunning for it hard, and it won me over. Solid plot construction, good character moments, a bit of an edge, and not one single character annoyed me or came off with that horrendous back-biting tone that ruins so many of these movies. Judged against all movies I'd like to call this a decent family picture with some laughs, the bare minimum. However, judged against it's peers and in the current landscape, I'd say it goes a step beyond and turned yet another cattle call casting/event movie and turned it into something with some entertainment value in it. Good on you Nintendo. You made a billion dollars and i don't have to make that "UGHhhhh" sound every time I see your characters. Well done. Maybe you can make a "Starfox" feature that is better than "Star Wars", there has never been a better time to try. With Love, 2bs
Samtember continues with Sphere, a movie that dares to ask: what if we did Event Horizon again, but underwater, and also worse? We discuss bad CGI, how this movie is like an Oreo cookie, but in reverse, and how the treatment of Sharon Stone in this movie sux. This episode brought to you in part by HelloFresh. With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to www.hellofresh.com/50loveit and use code 50loveit for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months! Produced by Andrew Ivimey as part of The From Superheroes Network Visit www.FromSuperheroes.com for more podcasts, articles, YouTube series, web comics, and more.
EP 331 - How You Du'in'? Doing lines of spice always looks cooler in the movies. Not really sure why...oh well. This week we cover what some consider to be the greatest science fiction story ever written. But does this sci-fi space opera adapt well in modern times, or did David lynch get it right the first time with his "really awesome" CGI and truncated version of this epic? Grab a couple Pumpkin Spice White Coffee Stout from Eastern Market Brewing, and lets find out! Follow us! Twitter: @thebuzzedkillPC Instagram: @thebuzzedkillpodcast Facebook.com/thebuzzedkillpodcast MOVIE WE DISCUSSED - DUNE - Part 1 (2021)
On this week's episode, the guys are chatting about the Robert Rodriguez sci-fi teen horror film, The Faculty! Has another movie ever done so little with such a solid cast? Are there too many characters in this movie? Shouldn't they just have done all practical effects instead of this horrendous CGI? Is this the biggest chicken shit ending of the 1990s? And why in the world did they release this movie on Christmas Day? PLUS: The season 14 debut of the VHS Trailer Game! The Faculty stars Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Elijah Wood, Clea Duvall, Laura Harris, Shawn Hatosy, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Christopher McDonald, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher, Daniel von Bargen, and Jon Stewart as Professor Edward Furlong; directed by Robert Rodriguez. Today's episode is sponsored by Microdose THC Gummies. Microdose is available nationwide. To learn more about microdosing THC, go to microdose dot com and use code: WHM to get free shipping & 30% off your first order. Want more WHM? Join our Patreon fam today and instantly unlock hours and hours of exclusive bonus content, including Ad-Free WHM Prime at the $8 level and up! Be sure to get in early and get your tickets for the WHM Holiday Extravaganza where we're talking The Santa Clause! Check out the WHM Merch Store featuring new Polish Decoy, Jack Kirby, and Forrest the Universal Soldier designs!
This week we dive into the T-rex reveal scene from the original 1993's Spielberg classic and practical CGI powerhouse, the one and only Jurassic Park. Enjoy the conversation about one of our most nostalgic movies. Make sure to play along with each festival and leave comments so we can interact with you and remember to subscribe to the channel if you like what you see. Follow us for more interaction and content: INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/deepdivefilmschool YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/deepdivefilmschool TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@deepdivefilmschool Join our growing community for new videos every week!
9/11 anniversary – Page 8 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… 9/11 MEMORIAL SCAMS, VICSIMS, Etc – Page 95 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… Pillory Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster www.merriam-webster.com/dictio… Meeting the VICSIM FAMILIES – Page 18 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… CGI collapse footage – Page 31 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… RICK SIEGEL […]
9/11 anniversary – Page 8 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… 9/11 MEMORIAL SCAMS, VICSIMS, Etc – Page 95 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… Pillory Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster www.merriam-webster.com/dictio… Meeting the VICSIM FAMILIES – Page 18 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… CGI collapse footage – Page 31 – Cluesforum—Exposing Mass Deception cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?… RICK SIEGEL […]
Another month, another comic book movie! Let's talk about Blue Beetle, the first hero entry to the new DCU. But is it good? Or is it garbage? It's time for Big Belly Burgers, neon blue CGI, over-acting, and an awesome George Lopez beard braid!New Episodes Every Week!Support us on Patreon! Get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/legionofcc SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/LegionOCCBrett Garwood - Man Behind The Curtain: https://redbagmedia.com/Our totally rad intro music comes from: Alex at Chop.it.up.productionsListen to our Podcast - Legion of Comic Correction - on all major podcasting platforms!Legion Website: legionofcc.comLCC Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComicCorrection LCC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LegionofCC LCC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legionofcc/Support the show
Will and Lucas re-visit another CGI animated show from their childhoods (and adulthoods) and wrap up the 2-parter on Mainframe Entertainment with their second show, Beast Wars (or is it Beasties?)! For the full episode, and all of our extra podcasts, pay what you want and subscribe at patreon.com/elwoodcitylimits Don't forget to vote for us at vote.thecoast.ca in the Best Podcast category! (Voting ends September 10, 2023)
In today's episode, it's part two of our deep dive into shark horror with Renny Harlin's Deep Blue Sea (1999). Blending science fiction with horror, the film follows a crew of researchers as they try to replicate in sharks the brain cells of people with Alzheimer's Disease. Predictably, the experiment does not end well. Known for its divisive heroine, campy reinterpretation of animal attack tropes, and some truly epic CGI sharks, Deep Blue Sea is the rare shark horror film that resists demonizing the sharks. But is that a good thing? We're breaking it all down today with spoilers, so stay tuned! Mentioned in this episode: Sign the petition to have release its footage of the original ending to Deep Blue Sea Our podcast on Crawl (2019) Tugan, Nuray Hilal. “Neoconservativism in the Science-Fiction Cinema: The Representation of Neoconservativism in Deep Blue Sea (1999).” International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Avrasya Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 9, no. 31, 2018. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/horror-homeroom/support
In this nostalgic episode of The Rewatch Party, the hosts embark on a journey back in time to revisit the beloved family adventure, "Jumanji" (1995). With Robin Williams at the helm, this cinematic gem has left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide. Join the hosts as they unravel the magic, chaos, and heartwarming moments that make "Jumanji" a timeless classic. The podcast begins with an enthusiastic introduction to the film and a reflection on the enduring charm it holds for both children and adults alike. As they delve into the plot, the hosts explore how the mysterious board game brings wild creatures, jungle landscapes, and thrilling challenges to life, forever changing the lives of siblings Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce), along with their now-adult friend, Alan Parrish (Robin Williams). Central to the discussion is the film's groundbreaking special effects. The hosts marvel at how "Jumanji" pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling in the mid-90s, creating a seamless blend of practical effects and CGI. They highlight the remarkable transformation of the house and its surroundings as the game's chaos unfolds, contributing to the immersive experience. Beyond the spectacle, the podcast delves into the film's heartwarming themes of family, courage, and redemption. The hosts analyze the character development of Judy, Peter, and Alan, each facing their own fears and learning important life lessons through the challenges presented by the game. They reflect on the enduring message that even in the face of chaos, love, and unity can triumph. Join The Rewatch Party as they roll the dice and journey into the wild world of "Jumanji" (1995). Whether you're a fan of classic family adventures, appreciate groundbreaking special effects, or simply want to relive the magic of your childhood, this episode offers a heartwarming trip down memory lane. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113497/
Spoiler free until 00:36:44!Andrew, Ryan, and Steven review Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise's Minority Report! Is the CGI any good? Do the sci fi aspects of the film make any sense? Did Tom run enough to guarantee this movie made money? Did the movie feel disjointed in tone? What were our favorite parts? Was the bleach bypass a mistake!? Were we entertained?! We answer all these questions and more in this episode!00:00:00 Intro00:02:42 Awkward CGI in the 2000s00:09:50 Spoiler Free Review00:28:35 Intermission00:30:34 Trivia00:33:12 Spectacle00:42:01 Performance00:51:07 Score00:55:56 Plot01:05:13 Entertainment01:10:24 OutroWebsite: https://www.spoilersintendedpodcast.com/Patreon : patreon.com/SpoilersIntendedPodcastDiscord : https://discord.gg/kGRAmjbqcF
Sam, Niko, Jake, and Jallen discuss reasons why there seems to be a stigma in Hollywood when "doing things for real" is good, and CGi is "bad". SUPPORT ► Join Our Website: https://bit.ly/Crew_Membership Instagram: http://bit.ly/_Corridor_Instagram Sub-Reddit: http://bit.ly/_Corridor_Sub-Reddit Buy Merch: http://bit.ly/Corridor_Store Creative Tools ► Puget Computers: https://bit.ly/Puget_Systems Aputure Lights: https://bit.ly/Corridor_Lights B&H Photo: https://bhpho.to/3r0wEnt ActionVFX: https://bit.ly/TheBest_ActionVFX Cinema4D: http://bit.ly/Try_Cinema4D Nuke: https://bit.ly/Nuke_Compositing Houdini: https://bit.ly/HoudiniSims Octane Render: http://bit.ly/Octane_Wrender Epidemic Music: http://bit.ly/Corridor_Music
critics, binged it, Kevin Costner, costumes, acting, directing, bad CGI, tilted shots
As the sun rises on a new era of Disney – the Wilderness Years – film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers go back millions of years (while the studio looks to the future) in 2000's Dinosaur. Strap in for Disney animation's first CGI-centric film – with Ben and Sam exploring how the filmmakers blended prehistoric creatures into footage of live-action environments, with mixed results. Plus, there's the very different version that could have been, courtesy of Phil Tippett and Paul Verhoeven; the bizarre DinoLand USA theme park area closely tied to the lore of the film; a whole ton of freaky lemurs; and the discovery of a long lost fossil: the Dinosaur Song Factory album. Oh, and Sam takes a deep – and we mean DEEP – dive into the Walt Disney Animation Studios numbering system, and why it all goes a bit haywire from Dinosaur onwards. This one goes out to all the little eggs out there. Next up: The Emperor's New Groove Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney. — Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney's animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we'll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Strange World. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film's historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.
You live in a series of numbers (& letters), this podcast is a series of words. It's time for Dee to finally explain to Al what, why, how and WHO is Mr. Zip. Plus, bad CGI from Odessa, Texas. Main Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojn6U2kP_pQ Local Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YozMDzOAGxk Sources: https://www.adcreeps.gay/sources-1/333-uspszip
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is on trial this week. Does it get itself in Hoth water or is it a happy Endor? Joel and Dave say Lucas finally got it right with this one, delivering exactly the Star Wars film fans were waiting for. Ausy and Alex say lessons were not learned, with terrible dialogue and far too much CGI fluff. All this with an impression of the Emperor and a Star Wars quiz! www.filmsontrial.co.uk/237
Ήταν μία προσωπική διαμάχη που προκάλεσε έναν στουντιακό πόλεμο, με κάποια από τα πιο υπερσύγχρονα οικονομικά όπλα που δεν είχαμε ξαναδεί ως τότε: τα ]μυρμήγκια κινούμενων σχεδίων. Κοιτάξτε, το 1998 ήταν μία άλλη εποχή.Εικοσιπέντε χρόνια αργότερα, η σκληρή μάχη μεταξύ του A Bug's Life από την Pixar και του Antz από τη Dreamworks, δύο εντυπωσιακά παρόμοιες ταινίες για μυρμήγκια που αψηφούν τον κίνδυνο για να σώσουν τις αποικίες τους, μοιάζει ξεχασμένη. Τότε όμως τα στούντιο παραγωγής τους βρίσκονταν σε έναν πόλεμο εγωισμών που οδήγησε τελικά τις ταινίες στο να κυκλοφορήσουν με μόλις 49 ημέρες διαφορά. Άξιζε;Το POP για τις Δύσκολες Ώρες συνεχίζει το VERSUS καλοκαιρινό του αφιέρωμα για παρόμοιες ταινίες που έδωσαν τη μάχη τους στο σινεμά την ίδια χρονιά, και αυτή τη φορά θυμόμαστε το Antz vs. A Bug's Life σκηνικό που προκάλεσε (ακόμα μεγαλύτερη) ρήξη μεταξύ της Pixar και της Dreamworks.Πώς γεννήθηκε η αρχική ιδέα, τι έγινε στο διάσημο lunch της Pixar, τι κόντρα είχε το μεγάλο κεφάλι της Dreamworks με την Pixar, και ποιο τηλεφώνημα λέει ο θρύλος πως έκανε τα πάντα ακόμα χειρότερα στις σχέσεις των δύο εταιρειών; Κοιτάμε επίσης πίσω στην έμφαση που έδινε η Dreamworks στα all-star καστ της, στον δρόμο που χάραζε η Pixar μετά το Toy Story, και στο πόσο, πόσο συντριπτικά άσχημο είναι το CGI των δύο ταινιών. Και τελικά, πόσα εκατομμύρια κοστίζει ο ανδρικός εγωισμός;Αυτά και πολλά περισσότερα στο VERSUS του POP για τις Δύσκολες Ώρες αυτής της εβδομάδας!
It's a new episode and we're looking at The Transformers but not the 80s! We're going to the 90s for the first CGI version!!! After a long absence, I'm joined by Max Smashmaster as we go back to 1998 for the episode “Code of Hero,” widely considered the best episode of the series. Will my guest feel the same?!? Join us for such topics at what was once considered groundbreaking CGI, flying robotic body parts, the complex storyline of Beast Wars, whatever the hell Cold Squad is, and Trukk No Munky!!!! So find out what's more than meets the eye….in cartoon form!
Flushed Away is a 2006 computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by Sam Fell and David Bowers, produced by Cecil Kramer, David Sproxton, and Peter Lord, and written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan and Will Davies. It was the third and final DreamWorks Animation film co-produced with Aardman Features following Chicken Run (2000) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), and was the first Aardman project mostly made in CGI animation as opposed to starting with their usual stop-motion. The film stars the voices of Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Shane Richie, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis and Jean Reno. In the film, a pampered pet rat named Roddy St. James (Jackman) is flushed down the toilet in his Kensington apartment by a sewer rat named Sid (Richie), and befriends a scavenger named Rita Malone (Winslet) in order to get back home while evading a sinister toad (McKellen) and his hench-rats (Nighy and Serkis). -- Audiomorphs is an Animorphs podcast which is actually not so much a podcast as a bootleg Animorphs audiobook. Releases every Friday. Visit https://www.theapodcalypse.com/ Twitter: @audiomorphs
In this episode, we dive into the world of visual effects and discuss the pros and cons of practical effects versus CGI. Join us as we explore the impact of budget constraints on TV shows and movies, and how it affects the overall production quality. We also touch on the importance of taking risks in filmmaking and the role of physicality in creating captivating action scenes. Plus, we share our frustrations with plot inconsistencies in popular superhero franchises. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the art of visual effects in the entertainment industry. Listeners will learn about the hosts' opinions on the Flash, including his powers, portrayal in different media, and ways to defeat him. They will also hear opinions on DC and Marvel movies, the disappointment with this specific movie's portrayal of the Flash, and criticisms of the entertainment industry's reliance on AI and executives. The discussion also touches on the use of CGI, character development, and the importance of taking risks in storytelling. 00:01:28 The Flash's powers and limitations. 00:04:41 Batman's plan to defeat Flash. 00:11:40 DC's shift to a brighter tone. 00:15:55 Movie critique and disappointment. 00:22:54 DC's treatment of Dwayne Johnson. 00:24:50 Flashpoint criticism. 00:30:59 Love and confusion. 00:34:42 Kazam and Steel 00:38:49 CGI and practical effects. 00:42:09 Terrible attempt at media. 00:45:02 Visual effects in films. 00:49:11 Lack of character development. 00:54:05 The Flash's numerous iterations. 00:59:46 Making clunky TV shows. 01:01:32 Nitpicking the Batman movie. 01:05:00 Batman's emotional moments. 01:10:42 Dark Batman and the Penguin. 01:14:30 Superman's infinite power. 01:17:52 IMDb search for TV show.
"Deep Blue Sea" is a 1999 science fiction thriller film directed by Renny Harlin. The movie revolves around a group of scientists conducting research on a remote underwater facility where they genetically engineer sharks to increase their brain size in order to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, their experiment goes awry as the highly intelligent sharks become smarter and more dangerous, leading to a series of intense and suspenseful events. As the sharks wreak havoc, the scientists must fight for their lives and find a way to escape the rapidly sinking facility. The film explores themes of ethics, the consequences of scientific experimentation, and the struggle for survival against powerful and intelligent predators. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: The production of "Deep Blue Sea" began with director Renny Harlin, who was known for his work on action and thriller films. The film was produced by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures. The screenplay was written by Duncan Kennedy, who drew inspiration from various shark-themed movies, but with a unique twist that involved genetically engineered sharks.The movie was shot on various locations, including the Baja Studios in Mexico, which featured a massive water tank that could be used to film underwater scenes. The filmmakers used a combination of animatronics, puppetry, and CGI to bring the intelligent sharks to life on screen.One of the most memorable aspects of the production was the elaborate and challenging underwater sequences. These scenes required careful planning and coordination to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. Additionally, the film's visual effects team worked to create realistic and convincing shark movements, particularly during the action-packed sequences.The cast of "Deep Blue Sea" included actors like Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J, and Samuel L. Jackson. Their performances contributed to the tension and excitement of the film.Overall, the production of "Deep Blue Sea" faced various challenges due to its underwater setting, complex visual effects, and the need to create suspenseful and intense sequences involving intelligent sharks. Despite the challenges, the film was released in 1999 and became a notable entry in the shark-themed thriller genre. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thevhsstrikesback/support
¡Escucha toda la diversión y el entretenimiento del Podcast de El Show de Raúl Brindis.Disponible en la App de Uforia , nuestro canal de YouTube: Uforia Podcasts , Apple Podcasts, Spotify o donde prefieras escucharnos.
Not your father's shark movie... Russ and Jared are diving into the trailer for The Requin (2022), starring Alicia Silverstone, James Tupper, Deirdre O'Connell, Danny Chung, Jennifer Mudge, and a terrible CGI shark. The guys have BIG news to share (fulfilling a longtime promise to you, our listeners), more safety tips, and boundless enthusiasm for crappy horror. Tune in for this one, and stay tuned for the full, scene-by-scene breakdown next week!
Welcome back to Not A Bomb Presents: Breaking Brad. The premise is pretty simple. Troy, Sammy from GGTMC, and Jose from Watch/Skip+ pick some of the worst films imaginable to see if they can break Brad. On this episode, the gang tackles “Legendary” director Dario Argento's adaption of Dracula in 2012's Dracula 3D. Oh boy. There is so much to unpack in this one: Asia Argento's “performance”, a CGI praying mantis, color changing trains, a sleepwalking Rutger Hauer performance, and garlic bullets. Was this the film that finally broke Brad? Or did it cause some collateral damage among the group? Listen and find out!Be sure to subscribe to the Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema to hear more of Sammy. Also, check out Jose's podcast - Watch/Skip+ • A podcast on Anchor. Both are highly recommended.If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at NotABombPod@gmail.com or Contact Us - here. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.Cast: Brad, Troy, Jose, Sammy
Remember, we welcome comments, questions, and suggested topics at thewonderpodcastQs@gmail.com. S4E27 TRANSCRIPT: ----more---- Mark: Welcome back to The Wonder, Science Based Paganism. I'm your host, Mark, Yucca: And I'm Yucca. Mark: and today we're talking about truth and reality. Yucca: Yes. So, there's a lot to talk about here. Mark: There is, there is, and that's, that's why we chose this topic, right? Because a lot of the places where we come into friction with other parts of the pagan community, and certainly friction with other religious perspectives other than atheism, is in the question of what is real and what is true, right? Yucca: hmm. Mm Mark: And I think what I want to start out with... The problem is that we have terrible language for this stuff. Yucca: hmm. Mark: Very imprecise language that uses one word to describe a lot of different things. Yucca: Right. I want to start also with with a little story from something my father used to say when I was little. And I don't know where he got it from, but when he would tell a story, and I would ask him, I'd say, Dad, is this a true story? He would say, Yes. The events didn't happen. But this is a true story. Mark: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah, like fables, Yucca: The Mark: Fables that illustrate moral principles. The moral principles may be something that we want to subscribe to, but that doesn't mean that the story about the chicken that was afraid that guy Yucca: sky was falling, or that nobody would help her make bread, or... Oh, there's a lot of chicken ones. Mark: are there? Yucca: Yeah, right? Mark: You would know more than me. Yucca: But, so, when we say that word true, It can mean so many different things, right? Sometimes we mean it as, is it correct as in, you know, a mathematical problem, right? Is 2 plus 2 equals 5? Is that true or not, right? But we can also mean, is it true in that more, does it have importance, does it have meaning? So, Mark: or even in very broad philosophical senses, like, is it true that supply side trickle down economics benefits everyone in the society? And some people will say yes, that's true. I think the evidence is that it does not, but ultimately it comes down to what you believe and what your, what the underpinnings of that belief are, what your philosophies are, right? So when I see Truth. I used to just mean the objectively factual, the verifiable, right? Yucca: right, so sort of like a positivist approach to truth, right? So what is real can be verified empirically, and the best approach to find it is the scientific method. Right? That would be our positivism, yeah. Mark: that is true of phenomena in the objective universe outside of our skins. The earth is round ish, it's not flat. Doesn't matter what you believe about it, it's still round ish and not flat, right? We have overwhelming evidence that this is the case. And so, it's not 100% sure, because nothing in science is ever 100% sure, but there's so much evidence that it's not considered an open question at this point. It's considered settled science. It's a fact, right? But when you get to truths like... Justice and morality and good. There are truths in there too, but they're much more rooted in the philosophy and belief system of the person that's expressing them in the culture that they grew up in Yucca: Mhm. Mark: than it is about something that can be measured and factually checked. against other alternatives, right? Yucca: Right. And while we're giving things labels that would be more of a constructivist philosophical approach, right? That those beliefs are constructed from the society that you're part of and your experience and your species and that all of those things are building on each other to create reality or to create truth. Mark: Right, right. Your, your familial ideological context, all of those, all of those things accrete to form something that more or less hangs together as a, as a philosophical belief system, right? So, that I think is a part of the reason why it becomes very difficult to talk about what is true. Because as you say, the story, the events, May not have happened, but the story can still be true, and that's why myth is so important to us. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: You know, we are the storytelling apes, as we've said before, and telling stories, even science tells stories, science, you Yucca: Oh, absolutely. That's what it's about. There's very strict rules about how you tell that story, but that's what we're doing. Yeah. Mark: it tells, you know, chronological procedural steps, events that take place, where, you know, something becomes something else, or something comes into being and, and so it's important for us to recognize, I think, The value that storytelling has for us in the abstract, Yucca: hmm. Mark: because just because something is not objectively factual doesn't mean that it can't be emotionally moving morally instructive eye opening in perspective, Yucca: hmm. Mark: You know, broadening your, your understanding of the human condition and the life that we live. So, all of those things are, are true, right? And none of them is, you know, can be subjected to a grass, a gas chromatograph. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: You can't, you, you can't measure those kinds of things. Yucca: Right. Mark: So, I actually made a little Venn diagram using the wrong tool for making Venn diagrams. I used Microsoft Word earlier today. And I've got four circles. I've got objectively verifiable facts. I've got believed truth, cultural truth, and then what overlaps all three of those is personal reality. Yucca: How are you distinguishing between the believed and cultural? Mark: Well, here's a good example. The cultural truth of the United States is Christian. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: It is, you know, that, that is, You know, the cultural truth is what I would call the over culture, Yucca: Mm Mark: whereas the individual's personal reality might vary from that, the believed truth. You know, so we don't subscribe to many of the values or or even cosmological beliefs of the cultural truth. But we do. And so we have our own believed truth. Yucca: Okay, Mark: That make sense? Yucca: does, yeah. So just getting a sense of how you're using those words. Mark: Yeah. And this, once again is where language is just really not very useful. I mean, having to use all these qualifiers for words, words like truth and real and fact and things like that is, it's frustrating. And because I have spoken a couple of other languages, I know that it's not entirely capturing what I'm trying to say. Yucca: right. Mark: We don't have quite the right words in our language to capture what I want to say. Yucca: So I don't know if any language, some might have words that are, that are better fit, but, but language is just something that we're trying to to, to communicate these ideas, but the ideas are, language isn't enough. Right? And so I think that it's helpful for us to try to articulate it anyways, because that forces us to clarify our thinking around it, right? We can't just throw a word on it and say that's, that's what it is, right? We have to really think about what are we trying to actually say. And that's tricky, because we're trying to think about, we're trying to think about our own process of thinking. Mark: Yes. Yucca: more challenging than it sounds like on the surface and then put down, and think about other people's approach to it, and of course we are just these limited, limited beings, right? We don't experience everything, we only get to be around for, exist for a very short period of time, and most of the time that we're existing for, we're not even conscious for. Mark: Right. And our brains constantly edit, massage, invent fill in the blanks. of our perceptual array filter our perceptions in order to create an inner model of the universe that we can interact with, right? And so we can determine that things are true when there's very little evidence that relates to them. Even, even people conclude that things are objectively true, like ghosts and... Spirits and gods and stuff like that with very little evidence, but they will conclude that it's true because they have experiences that are filtered through their own filtration process that will make what appears to be evidence for them. Yucca: Right. Mark: And while I tend to be very, very skeptical about those kinds of processes and skeptical, you know, when I have an experience that strikes me as violating the laws of physics, and I have had a few, Yucca: Mm Mark: um, My immediate question is, okay, you know, what went wrong with my sensorium? You know, how am I, how did I misperceive this and misinterpret what it meant? Others may not do that. Yucca: Mm Mark: And one thing that I also wanted to talk about today is the way that we relativistically value certain kinds of truth relative to other kinds of truth, which is a cultural thing, and I think that, particularly in the West, with with our domination of of science and technology and, you know, the, the kind of linear thinking. What's the word I'm looking for? When you take things apart. Reductionist. That's what I'm looking for. The, we, we tend to, Yucca: reductionism. Mark: yes, Yucca: Yeah. Mark: We tend to place that which can be verified up on kind of a pedestal. As being somehow more important than the other flavors of truth, the other varieties of, of truth Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: that we experience in our lives. And what's weird about that is that in an actual human life, that's not how it works at all. I mean, yes, when you're young, it's useful to be able to determine, you know, what a fire is so you don't burn yourself with it. But as we get older, the questions that we ask ourselves are, what does this feel like? Yucca: Mm Mark: You know, does this feel like the right thing to do? Is this, is this moral? Is this just? Is this kind? Those kinds of questions, and those are things that there is no meter to measure. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mm. Mm Mark: So I think, for example, about, like, take the Lord of the Rings, right? This is a semi sacred text to many people you know, there, there are lots of folks out there who read it every year and are, you know, deeply steeped in the whole lore of, Yucca: My family read it every single year. Mark: Huh. Huh, you know, just immersed in the beauty of and the drama of Tolkien's imaginary world. Now, Middle earth doesn't really, I hate to break this to you, but Middle earth really doesn't exist to our knowledge in any material sense. Yucca: Right. It was, you know, loosely based off of Europe, but not in the sense that of an actual book. You can't go and say, oh, you know, Mount Doom is Vesuvius or something, like it doesn't actually line up. Mark: Right. Yucca: It was meant more to be spirit, right, than in physical body. Mark: Right. Right. Right. But it can be profoundly impactful on us emotionally and even in terms of our thinking about Ethical questions, moral questions, you know, what would Galadriel do? So I think that the discounting of the mythological, the, you know, the fictional, but still containing kernels of, of meaningful human knowledge, narratives that we have, And certainly the the the culturally developed principles like fairness and justice and so forth. I mean, these are very important. And what, even though you can't measure them, they're, it's still very important. And I think that we, especially as atheists, we can get accused of over, overemphasizing the, the material positivist verifiably, Extant stuff Yucca: Right. Mark: relative to the rest. Yucca: I think there has to be a balance, too, though. Because so many times we have seen people's that reality that approach being valued over some of what's objectively happening, right? We think in ecology, right, there was a cultural belief about predators being bad. And we went and got rid of the predators. That did not help the ecosystem, though. Objectively, the predators had to be there. Same thing with the grazers, right? We take the grazers out, we take the predators out, the system falls apart. No matter how much you believe about, oh, the poor little deer, Right? Like, the system still falls apart if you take the predators out. Mark: Absolutely. Yucca: so I think that it's a tricky balance when looking at and trying to, to figure out how to make choices how to balance what knowledge we're looking at, what, how are we approaching the, the cultural versus some of the objective, and not saying that one is better than the other, but that there are places for each of those. Mark: Yeah, that, that's exactly where I'm going with this, because what I'm, what I'm expressing is that I think that we need to elevate the value of the mythic, but that's not an excuse for scientific illiteracy. Yucca: Right. Mark: You know, we having a good story about the nature of reality is not the same thing as having good knowledge about the nature of reality. And, unfortunately, there are an awful lot of people out there who simply choose, okay, I'm gonna go with this story, I'm gonna go with this story about, you know, this resurrection and original sin and virgin births and all that kind of stuff, or I'm gonna go with a story about Odin, or I'm gonna go with a story about, you know, anyway, name, name your divinity of choice, right? Yucca: Well, and I and I would like to say that I don't think it's just within believing in deities or things like that. But people will also do things, stories that don't really line up with current scientific understanding, but is they like their version of, and I see this with a lot of like the really a great aggressive atheists who like they get this idea of like, this is what science says. And it's like, yeah, that's That's like an 18th century understanding, like, science has progressed, you know, significantly since then, but you're going with this one story and you're deciding that that's what it is and not deviating. Like, that's not, that's not how science works. Mark: And similarly, many critics of science will point back to scientific thought and statements from a hundred, a hundred and fifty years ago and say, well, science is just racist. It's a colonialist, racist ideology, and that's all that it is, so you can discount it. Yucca: Yeah. Which is, no, it, the people who were doing science Existed within a cultural context and sometimes abused the tools to their own end yeah. And that's happening today too, right? But our responsibility as informed citizens and as scientists is to not let that happen Mark: Mm hmm. Yucca: we see it, hmm. Mark: Absolutely. And so, as I am so fond of saying, the solution to bad science is more and better science. It's, it's not to throw that whole system out and say, okay, let's just go with the story we made up. That being said, and understanding that You know, deliberately choosing to believe in a world that is populated by invisible beings and has, you know, invisible forces that you can manipulate in order to affect the course of events and stuff like that. I mean, I can understand why that's attractive in some ways. It's very um, romantic. That's exactly the word. But it doesn't really reflect what we understand. And. My paganism, my spirituality, is deeply rooted in the idea that I want to be here. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: I love the stories, I love the movies, I love the, you know, all that stuff, but I want to be connected with the reality of what this life experience is as best I can and to celebrate and be wowed by that. Mm Yucca: Right. And that's something that we've talked about a lot on the podcast, and we should do another Wow and Wonder episode, right, where we share some of that stuff, but that, that our reality is unbelievable. It is amazing. It's whatever scale you look at, it, I mean, just wow. Mark: Mm hmm. Yucca: Right? And you can just go down and down into the single drop of water, and all of the complex, incredible interactions and creatures that exist in that single drop of water, all the way up to the scale of the observable universe. It's just, there's so much, and we could spend every moment of our waking life discovering more and more, and still not even begin to scratch the surface. And it's just... It's incredible. Everything that, every day when I learn a new thing, it's just amazing. It's just, wow, wow, wow. This is, so personally, I don't feel like I need the invisible beings. Like, and if they're, if they're there, that's cool. Like, could, I'd love to discover them. But in the meantime, like, I'm, I'm pretty happy with tardigrades. It's pretty amazing, right? Mark: they sure are. Yeah, I feel, unsurprisingly, I feel the same way. The... If there are, if there is a supernatural dimension to reality, Yucca: Mm Mark: or a dimension in which the kinds of things that theists and believers in magic subscribe to, whether or not it's natural, you know, maybe there are other physical laws that apply in that context or something. There's little enough evidence for it that I can ignore it. I, I will cheerfully pay attention to the stuff for which there is abundant evidence. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: You know, I don't, I don't have time in this life to go sifting through all of that, much less deal with stuff that may or may not be there. So, I mean, it's, it's a, it's a very sort of pragmatic decision to make as well as a, as a philosophical one, right? It's just like, well, you know, I wouldn't want to spend a whole lot of time on something that turned out not to be there. So I'm, I'm. I'm just going to look at this gigantic pile of amazing Yucca: hmm. So, pragmatic critical realism? Is that where we're getting into? Mark: something like... Yeah, something like. But I do want to say that I think, I mean, part of the problem that we have, I think, with religiosity at least certainly in the United States, is that people are subscribing to religion and then, and then turning off any curiosity and, and deliberately resisting any curiosity from a scientific standpoint. You know, how does this work? What makes this that, that way? And they just, they've got this. There's a magical wand that they wave at it that said the gods did it, or God did it, and what that enables them to do then is to fill their, their world perspective with stuff that clashes vehemently with the evidence that we have, like people that are climate change deniers and, you know, flat earth folks and, you know, those kinds of things. Yucca: The second one is the one that always just makes, like, I can understand the first one about the climate change one, right? But the flat earth one, like, like, you, you can see it, Mark: Only if you believe that we've ever launched anything from earth. Yucca: but, like, you can see the horizon. Mark: Yeah. Yucca: Like, that's the, that's the one that I'm like, well, but you can literally see it with your own, like, the climate stuff, you've got to like, you've got to trust that the data that's being collected is, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, right? But, but you can use your own eyes to verify that the Earth is not flat, that it's not spherical, right? And that's the one that I've just... It gets me. I'm just like, it's just, y'all, this is not, Mark: I, Yucca: that you're saying that you don't want to trust all of these, like, crazy, that we're all in on some huge conspiracy to, like, trick you and make Photoshop documents and stuff, but, like, you can do the trick with a laser and, like, shine it over distance, you can see through the horizon when you're at the sea, like, you can go up in an airplane, like, you know, it's, you can see it. Mark: yeah. I think that what Flat Earthism is about fundamentally is just a rejection of science as a whole. Yucca: Yeah, and getting attention. Mark: yes. Yes. The whole idea of expertise, right? Like, I'm not going to believe those people. I'm going to do my own research, and my own research involves, you know, digging two pages deep on Google as opposed to spending years studying meticulously the, the, the data and the analysis that's been applied by people who are very knowledgeable in these subjects Yucca: For thousands of years, by the way, Mark: For thousands of years, yes. I mean, not, not just in the context of Western laboratories and stuff, but I mean, indigenous people know how all the plants work because they did trial and error and experimented and figured it out, Yucca: yeah, Mark: you know, it's, the, the idea that the scientific method is something that doesn't belong to all people just doesn't hold up very well in my, Yucca: no, the scientific method is a, is based on human, the way that humans instinctually, all humans think, right? It is, it is grown out of that and there are, there's a specific Western tradition, right? But that is one tradition. Out of the thousands, right, that led to, that just gave names, right, like, okay, we've got some Greek names that we're using, but it's not like, you know, here in the Americas, we weren't using those same methods, right? Mark: right, right. And, mm hmm. Now, now we get into the trouble about, well, what do we mean by science? Do we mean the scientific method? Do we mean the accumulated body of knowledge that has, that has been accreted by the scientific method? Or do we mean institutions that that are scientific? And the institutions certainly have been, they, they've had their problems. Yucca: absolutely, Mark: they, they've been informed by cultural biases and, Yucca: And they still are, Mark: And they still are. And in some cases, they've been influenced by where their funding comes from Yucca: yes, Mark: which is another problem. And, you know, I think it's important for all of us to acknowledge that and to apply critical thinking and skepticism to what we see. But critical thinking and skepticism doesn't mean I reject the opinion of all experts, Yucca: yeah, yeah, Mark: or I'm going to find experts who confirm what I already wanted to believe. What it means is Having knowledge about how methodology works, understanding what actually, being able to parse out whether a conclusion that's drawn in a paper or a statement actually has any meaning. Coherence with the, The findings? Yucca: you would be really surprised at how often they don't. Mark: I wouldn't. Yucca: Well you get, Mark: But, but I think many would. Yeah, Yucca: many, and there's certain fields that it's more of an issue in than others, but you read the conclusion, then you look at the data and you go, that's not no If you were my student, I'd fail you. How did you get published? Mark: you didn't, you didn't prove that. And then usually there's a sort of clickbaity headline in the title of the paper or certainly the press release that is sent out about the paper that then further distorts the conclusion that was drawn by the paper. Yucca: So yeah, , the science journalism is an area with some real challenges. Right now and there's so much that goes out there. It's just like, that's just not, it's, they're just falsehoods. This is not what was said in that paper, first of all and, you know, just, so I, I, I understand where some of the frustration with the science as the institution is coming from. But then it just gets, and I think that the way that social media is structured right now doesn't help it because it will, people kind of get wrapped up in this, these groups that are forming identities around objecting to science or othering some particular group or some, you know, kind of extreme position or You know, things that are just not supported by the science or are being represented as science, which really aren't scientific, get incorporated into the mainstream. And people go along with these beliefs about, oh, this is what the science says, and it's not. Mark: Right. Yucca: me a single paper. Nope, you Mark: Well, and, and you, you, you complicate and extrapolate that when you have leaders who are hucksters, who, who articulate these falsehoods, like from the pulpit, Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: and encourage everybody to disbelieve in anthropogenic climate change, encourage people to, you know, not to believe science, not to believe in evolution, these kinds of things. Yucca: And then you have got folks using a lot of that for whatever their particular platform is. When it's not, you know, where they're making certain claims or exaggerations that isn't really supported by the science. Mark: Well, one thing that, one thing that I have thought about recently is that we really need to make a distinction between skepticism, which is a process of inquiry, and cynicism, which is just the desire to tear everything down that isn't consistent with what you wanted to believe in the first place. Yucca: Hmm. Mark: And there's an awful lot of people out there including in the atheist community, many of them, who call themselves skeptics, and what they really are is just cynics. You know, they're, they're not even trying to have an open minded inquiry into what's likely to be true, so much as they are just trying to tear down everything that, that they don't like. In our lives. In our, you know, in our entertainments, in our in our politics, in our in our religious rituals, we, we do something that we often call suspension of disbelief. But I think what it is more is suspension of skepticism. We choose to turn off that analytical lens that says, like, have you ever sat next to somebody in a movie and they're like, no, the, that light angle isn't right, this was done with CGI. You know, they're, they're constantly, like, breaking the, the spell. Of the movie? Very frustrating. Yucca: My partner won't watch sci fi with me for that reason. Mark: oh, Yucca: I have to keep my mouth shut. I'm like, nope! Gravity doesn't work like that! Stop it! Mark: I, I mean, Yucca: not to do it in a movie theater, though. Mark: okay, well, good, good. Then we can still be friends. Yucca: My lip, but... Mark: all right. So, suspen suspension of skepticism. I do that when I do my, my atheopagan rituals. I certainly do that, you know. In that moment, I, Who am I? You know, I'm a wizard. I'm a, I'm a manipulator of grand forces in the world, you know, who's making, you know, who's expressing wonder and awe and gratitude for this amazing life and putting out that I hope that these things will happen in the world. And that doesn't have to be undercut by all the little niggling voices that might try to cynically suck all the juice out of that moment, right? You know, I don't go to the Grand Canyon and think, well, it's only a hole in the ground. Yucca: Huh. Mm Mark: That doesn't, it doesn't feed me in any substantive way. And so I think that the, the excessive elevation of the technological and the scientific in certain circles anyway I mean, it may not be quite as bad as the elevation of uninformed religiosity, but it's still. Generally, you know, reason, rationality science are, generally in our society, they're viewed by important people, by the, the people that are, that are in the newspaper and are telling us the news and all that kind of stuff as being important. the mythic, and the mythic is not given that as much. Yucca: Right. I think there's irony in that, though, that I think that there's overall very poor scientific literacy within our culture, Mark: Yes, Yucca: right, and so we do elevate that, you know, the science and the rationality, but that I think that we do so in a way that puts it more in that, like, Mark: mythic? Yucca: in the mythic box, right, Mark: Yeah, because we don't understand how it works. Yucca: Yeah, so we just like, you know, switched what the particular thing is that we're being told to believe. And said, oh, it's because it's science, right? But without really understanding, without understanding science in any of the three ways that we just used the term, right? Mark: yes. And certainly there is little effort to foster scientific literacy in the United States, certainly. I think that's less true in some other places. And so we're kind of forced to treat science as this magical black box that answers questions for us and that technologies fall out of that we then get to use and buy and enjoy. Yucca: fonts and colors associated with it, and yes, and you know, beep boops and sounds like that, right? Mark: Huh. Yeah, absolutely. And we insist on that, right? We, there's a particular kind of look and feel to a computer that will sell a computer, and there's a look and feel that will not sell a computer, and the people that make computers know very well what the difference is. Yucca: Right? And if you are... If you're a college kid going into one of those fields, you are expected to look and behave a certain way and, Mark: Right, Yucca: Not another way, right? And that gets taught to us from when we're itty bitty. Mark: Yeah. Yep. Well, and, and this is part of the challenge, because we have accumulated enough knowledge now that no one can Encompass all of it. Yucca: Mm Mark: It's just not possible within a lifetime in one human brain. So you kind of have to specialize, especially if you're really going to go into a subject, you have to specialize. But for a general scientific literacy, it's... It's a work of many years. It's a work of a lifetime, honestly. I mean, you, because there's always new stuff being discovered. So, you know, I'm always reading sciencedailyandnature. com and scientificamerican. com just to kind of keep up with the very tiny crust on the surface of all the stuff that's being done out there. Yucca: Hmm. This is actually the subject that, assuming that they approve it, that I'm doing my dissertation in for my doctorate in STEM education is... Scientific literacy, public literacy, yeah. Mark: cool. Yucca: So there's not as much research in the area as you would think there would be. Mark: Huh. Yucca: When I started looking into it, I was like, oh, this is, this is gonna be a saturated field. But it's not. There's very little. Mark: Well, new paths to scientific literacy would certainly be welcome. I mean, I know that you're a very strong critic of the traditional American education system. I am too. But the question is, how then do people absorb Yucca: Right. And I'm definitely looking at it from the... Mark: Ah. Yucca: So, because we do most of our learning as adults, Mark: Mm hmm. Yucca: right? Certainly, most kids in this country go through a school system, and there's a lot of people working on that, and, you know, we could do a whole episode on that. critiques that I have of the system of school itself and how we've confused that with education and, you know, what the purpose of it is, but as a, as a scientist, I learned a few things in school, right? I learned some, how to do some processes and things like that, but the vast majority of what I know happened just because I was interested in the topic and just continued to learn it. And I think that most people learn. That way as well. Mark: Yes. Yeah, that's certainly true for me. I mean, you know, it's all been about deep dives into stuff that I, that I'm curious about. I mean, one of the atheopagan principles is curiosity, understanding that there's always more to be learned, right? And learning is a wonderful process. It's a pleasurable process. It's not only that it informs you more, but yeah. It's, it's joyful. Yucca: yeah. Mark: And joyful things are things we're in favor of. So, Yucca: Right. Mark: go out and learn something today. Yucca: Well, learning is something that we continue to do no matter what. We are humans and that's part of what we do, but we can be intentional about it or unintentional about it, right? So Mark: Yeah. So, talking about truth and reality Yucca: you did, before we started recording, you did, we were talking a little bit about quantum mechanics and you said you wanted to touch on the idea that measurement Mark: oh yes, yes, this is, Yucca: how we, I don't know how to tie this in Mark: You can hear the exasperation in my voice as, you know, when this comes up because there are so many people. There are people in the pagan community, people in the New Age community, people in in, you know, various other kind of religious communities for whom quantum mechanics, which they usually call quantum physics, is a Yucca: in for magic? Mark: Yes, yes, it's a, you know, you, you wave your hands vaguely in a gesture at this, and what you mean is we don't understand it and therefore it is the cause of the thing I want to believe in. And one of the, one of the experiments and findings in quantum mechanics that is most misinterpreted is the idea that an observation affects The, the, the decoherence of a superposition particle, particle, wavicle phenomenon, Yucca: Mm Mark: um, and that's not what observation means in physics. What an observation means in physics is a measurement, and a measurement necessarily requires an interaction, and that's what causes decoherence. That's what causes A quantum body to be affected is interaction with its environment. So it's not that your consciousness is changing anything in the quantum world. We have no evidence ever that that is true. It's that in the act of trying to figure out what one of those particles is doing, you have to interact with it. Soon as you interact with it, it decoheres. Yucca: right. Mark: then, you can take a measurement, but You're not measuring the thing that you originally were reaching towards with your measuring stick, you're measuring what it became after the interaction. Yucca: So let me give a kind of an analogy on a larger scale. So I want to know, I want to see where something is, right? Well, in order for me to see it, Light has to bounce off of it, and that has to go into my eye. So it had to interact, that photon had to interact with it in order for me to be able to see it, right? So that's on a bigger scale, but that's going to apply on our small scale as well. Mark: Exactly, exactly. And unfortunately, there was quite a lot of gobbledygook published about quantum mechanics early in its history, which has sort of, Mucked up the waters and created a lot more of this sense of, wow, quantum mechanics is very weird and mysterious. Well, it is weird and mysterious, but it's not nearly as weird and mysterious as a lot of people seem to think it is. We've, you know, we've learned a good bit about it. The big mystery, of course, is where's the theory of everything? How do you get classical physics, you know, relativistic physics, to, to work with quantum mechanics because they clash? Yucca: right. Mark: So, that's the big mystery. There's a lot of very smart people working on it, and maybe someday we'll know the answer to that. Yucca: It's delightful because each of those different approaches are very very good at explaining specific Phenomena, but completely fall apart when trying to explain other ones, so we know they're both wrong, Mark: Yeah, Yucca: right? And that's delightful, that's really fun to think Mark: We know that both of those systems are flawed, and to the degree that we understand them at all, we understand that they don't mesh. Very well, they contradict one another. Yucca: But they are still useful, Mark: Oh yeah, Yucca: right? And this happens in physics all over the place, you know, we're going to calculate the path of the baseball that I throw, and I'm not, like, I'm not including all of the different Little pieces of information. I'm not going to get it exactly, but I'm going to get it close enough to what I need for it to be useful, and I'm just going to use, do what I need for it to be useful, right? Mark: So Yucca: I was going to say, Mark: oh go ahead, Yucca: what you were saying with the, you know, a lot of the gobbledygook that's been published about it, there's also a lot of things That, that I come across, especially when teaching, where there's a lot of confusion between what are some really cool ideas, like when people talk about like multiverses or things like that, that, like those are very interesting ideas, but they're not science. Right? And there's a, you know, and do we know whether string theory is correct, or things like, you know, or a few months ago, you know, the, speaking about the bad reporting, saying that, you know, oh, scientists created a black hole, and it could, like, no, they didn't. There was a computer program that they ran with, conditions that were slightly different than our universe, in which they were able to simulate and show that a black hole would... form under these conditions. Right, like, so, there's a lot of stuff out there that is science fiction that may one day become science, right? But it's not science until it's falsifiable, right? Can't falsify, but it's not science right now, and it gets treated like it is, right? And it's and it, it can be so, so confusing. Mark: yeah, exactly, and when you have a population of people who, to begin with, aren't very scientifically literate, but are looking for an answer. Kind of mysterious forces that might serve as an explanation for things that they choose to believe in. Well, quantum mechanics is a pretty good candidate because it has a little weirdness about it. And it's, it's at a scale that's invisible to us with the naked eye, so we don't actually have to deal with it at all. We can just sort of use it as this placeholder for the magic thing that I wish existed. Yucca: And there are a few things that, when you hear about, they kind of do sound a little... Magick y, you know, quantum tunneling sounds pretty magick y to me, right, when you think about it, or you're like, okay, yeah entanglement, that sounds pretty Mark: yeah, Bell's theorem you know, the, the simultaneous snapping into identical spin of particles that are separated by parsecs, right? So, yes, I mean, there are things that are, that are mysterious and weird, and they, they point in the direction of new learning that we need to do, Yucca: yeah. Mark: If the data's good, because it's possible that our instruments are not perfect, too, Yucca: Or that we're, that we're missing something, that we're really, we're interpreting something in the wrong way, Mark: Ah Yucca: is always possible. So, something that I think a lot about is are you familiar with the idea of the ether? It's luminiferous aether. Okay, so we used to think, it was quite common to think that there had to be some sort of substance that light was traveling through, because all the other waves that we knew of went through something, right? Sound goes through the air, ocean waves go through the water, so what's light going through? So there was this assumption that there was this something permeating. And I'm trying to remember the names of the two gentlemen who set this up, I'm going to look this up real quick so that I get the name of it right. So, okay. The Michelson Morley experiment. Right? So, it was trying to measure the relative motion of the Earth in the aether. And they did it over and over again, and they kept not finding the aether, because we don't think it exists today. Right? And they said, okay, maybe we need to make it bigger and bigger and bigger, maybe, you know, it's just too small. That experiment is... The setup for it is almost identical to how LIGO works, which is the gravitational wave observatory. So, if we had somehow been able to make it large enough, that it would have been able to pick up gravitational waves, we would have interpreted the gravitational waves at the time as being evidence for the Mark: Or the ether. Yucca: So, who knows, today, what we've found that we're interpreting as being evidence for one thing, which is, is something completely different. And we're just, we're going off in some direction, and we're totally wrong about it. You know, science is a self correcting process, so at some point, hopefully, we'll circle back around and correct it, but I personally suspect that most of what we think we know we're wrong about, but we don't really have a way of knowing that yet, so. But that particular example just delights me that, you know, if we had been able to make it four kilometers long, we would have detected gravitational waves instead of ether, Mark: Huh. Yucca: so. Mark: On a completely unrelated note ether is a very useful trope in steampunk Yucca: It Mark: design and fiction and all that kind of stuff. My partner and I did a an etheric explorer's ball party, Yucca: Ooh, Mark: party that was so much fun. This must be 10, 12 years ago now, but oh, God, what a good time. Yucca: I think I've seen some photos of you in your outfit Mark: Oh yes, Commander Basterton, Yucca: Yes, oh, that's a great name. Mark: conquered Mars for the Empire. Yucca: Mmm, Mark: Yeah, Raleigh Houghton Basterton whose men call him Really Rotten Basterton. Yucca: that's great. Mark: Yeah, pretty fun. I have, I still have some of the business cards. You know, Commander of Her Majesty's Imperial Ship Improbable. Yucca: Mmm, that's a good one. Yeah, well there's a lot of, there's a lot of good material for sci fi out of all this stuff. Mark: Yeah, yeah. And once again, that's the mythic. I mean, one of the things that's great about speculative fiction generally, science fiction and fantasy, is that it, it speculates, right? It it reaches out into the future or into alternate realities that. Put human or human like figures into different contexts and and then conjectures about well, what would it be like? What, what would happen? What, you know, what, where would we go? And those are wonderful rides to take and they're often very illuminating. When you, when you take those rides and you learn something more about humanity itself by seeing it reflected in that kind of a mirror. Yucca: mm hmm, mm hmm. Mark: So I guess, you know, because we've been talking for a while now I guess to sum up, I both feel that we need a lot more emphasis on the verifiably, factually, objectively true in the way of increasing scientific literacy and curiosity, but we also need to elevate the mythic and the emotional and the passionate, you know, there's so much discounting of, I mean, you know, arguably the rudest thing you can say to someone is you're just being emotional, right? Yeah, I'm being emotional, I'm angry! Yucca: yes, which is so interesting when we, because it's one of the things that And of course, other animals, turning out, seem to share most of the, the closer they are to us, the more things they seem to share with us but that's one of the things that we pride ourselves about, oh, that's being so human, right? And then, oh, look at you, shame on you for being so human Mark: yeah, Yucca: but I, I think that we, that it would really benefit us to focus more on thinking about thinking. Mark: yes. Yucca: Whether that, whichever type of thinking or the purpose, but just being more conscious of, what our beliefs are, why we have those, and, you know, learning to reflect upon those. Mark: Well, yes I mean, Socrates, right? Know thyself. Self inquiry is, for one thing, it's an amazing journey. Because each of us really is unique and you will discover unique and amazing things about yourself, right? And since we don't come with an operating manual, it can be very helpful to know what your predilections are, what your prejudices are, what your confirmation biases are and to work Yucca: that you want to change them, You've got to know what they are to be able to make those, to direct the change of them. They may change over time, they probably will, but if you want to influence where they go, you need to be aware of them. Mark: need to know what they are. Yeah, it's, it's the full denial of inquiry that I think is the... Really the pernicious problem that we contend with, and it's not just among, say, fundamentalist, you know, evangelical Christians. It's, it's among some in the pagan community as well, you know, who know what they know and are not asking questions anymore. Yucca: Mm hmm. Mark: I'm, I don't know, I can't stop asking questions. I'm just too curious. Yucca: Yep. Well, this is fun. I think this is a topic we should circle back around to in the future. And I think it'll, it, it's related to so many things we talk about, but it's important to think about, you know, what is, what do we mean when we say real and true and reality and, and what's all that stuff? Mark: Yeah. Because it's, it's at the core of everything, right? I mean, we act based on what we believe is real. You know, what we believe is likely to be the, the truth of the outcome that we project. We, we get ourselves scrambled and confused most when we do something and we get a completely random response that we can't provide. Doesn't fit our projection of what we thought was going to happen, Yucca: Right, Mark: So knowing what we believe and knowing why we came to believe it becomes very important. Yucca: right. And if we want to change it, Mark: Yes. Yucca: how do we, knowing that it's there so that we can, we can choose and have that, that agency in our own lives, and not just be, you know, being blown along. The path. All Mark: It's a, it's a choose your own adventure, either that or you can just be washed around. Yucca: Just trademarked, by Mark: Is it? Yucca: the way. They yeah, the company goes after people for using that. So it has to be choose your own story, or write your own adventure. So. Mark: Oh, man. Let's not get started Yucca: All right. Well, Mark, this was fun. Mark: that's a whole other topic. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Alright, well, it's great spending time with you as always, folks. It's great spending time with you, Yucca. And we'll see you next week. Yeah.
We're headin' to 1995 a time long ago when POGS roamed freely across the golden plains, Holden was in Middle School realizing life was nothing but pain, MJ discovered the existence of sad bois via the "When I Come Around" music video, and BASKETBALL JACKIE REIGINED SUPREME (and learned some problematic life lessons)! Toy Story sets the stage for a CGI dynasty, Blues Travelers ruled the airwaves with an iron harmonica, a small website named Amazon sold its first book, Nickelodeon and MTV were droppin' classics, OJ's gloves did NOT fit AND SO MUCH MORE IN THIS 95 REWINDDDDD!!!Page 7 and Wizard and the Bruiser are going on TOUR! Dates and links to tickets at lastpodcastnetwork.com Want even more Page 7? Support us on Patreon! Patreon.com/Page7Podcast
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