Ghostbusters trailer *Brand New* (2016)

[thecolorsblend]

I'm not going to argue with you but I do think comments like 'I'm kind of sick of this "Let's find anything but a white man to play a role that was made famous by a white man!"' don't help your case and are exactly what this film's more zealous, perhaps even mendacious, defenders will seize upon.

I can't help it if they don't grasp the point.

It also illustrates why I said that both sides of the cultural divide need to start understanding and tolerating the other a bit more.

It isn't my side that views anybody with a different opinion as a terrorist.

Sony were asses to frame the entire opposition to this film as one that came down to misogyny

This is the only part of your statement that matters. The customer is always right. But even if you believe the customer to be wrong, what you don't do is lambast him publicly.

But I am genuinely grateful that you didn't argue with me

What's in it for me? You apparently have carte blanche to say anything you please on this forum no matter how political (and thus taboo) it is... while the rest of us get all the warnings. The boundaries set for others apparently don't apply to you. The boundaries you set for everyone else also don't apply to you.

Hell, I'm still "Watched" right now even though the "infraction" which prompted that occurred something like two years ago, or even more. Thus it would be a mistake to confuse my reluctance to engage with some kind of tacit acceptance or retreat.

[johnnygobbs]

Hell, I'm still "Watched" right now even though the "infraction" which prompted that occurred something like two years ago, or even more. Thus it would be a mistake to confuse my reluctance to engage with some kind of tacit acceptance or retreat.

Guess what?  I'm 'watched' too.

I guess that secret has just been blown (thanks, admittedly, to you).  Clearly we can only see the 'watched' warning when it applies to ourselves.  For all you and I know, there could be many other posters here who are also being 'watched' (and it's of course their business whether they tell us or not).

But hopefully that should put your mind at ease that I have been held to just as much account as you, or indeed anyone else, for any comments, political or otherwise, that may have crossed the line.  But to my defence, I have tried not to initiate any political discussions of late, and have merely responded to others who have initiated such discussions.  Perhaps in future, I should just remind them that political discourse is not acceptable here, but if they are allowed to continue such discussions unabated then why shouldn't I be allowed to join in?  Because my views aren't appreciated around here?

And having politely thanked you in my previous post, I am a tad disappointed that you decided to go on the offensive with me this time round.  I appreciated the relatively civil way you framed your last post.  I hope that you can continue to converse, and indeed argue, with me in a civil and non-accusatory way.

[The Joker]

You know, I'm not a big conspiracy-type when it comes to films, and when I hear libs fall back on Trump for being responsible and sole beneficiary of society's ills, like Brexit, or even this "film" receiving misogynistic hatred from, what were they referred to again ... oh yeah, Trolls, due to females in the lead parts (which is curious considering something like f'n STAR WARS recently had a female as it's lead, along with Rogue One, and the overwhelming majority of these 'trolls' don't seem to have a problem with it), it all mounts up to a bunch of BS, and would be, at the very least, amusing, if it wasn't so pathetically sad.

In addition, I've become less and less interested in what critics have to say in recent times. Especially in light of BvS. A film I openly had problems with, but at the same time, enjoyed the hell out of. It's the lemming mentality that I am not a fan of. "Hey! Enough people think it's bad. It must be, right?", "Hey! Enough people think it's good. It must be, right?" Uh, no. You go in, form your own opinion, and then leave. Blindly basing your own personal review on other's opinions before even knowing what you're talking about, is a pure example of being blissfully ignorant and liking it. Course, some people subscribe to that old, "Go along, to get along" mentality, so whatever floats your boat, right?

Will this "film" be met with predisposed negativity? Yup. It already has. Will proponents openly condescend, and use ridiculous blanket statements towards others who disagree with them in their effort to support it? You betcha. Once again, and not surprisingly, that's already happened. As a consequence, what you end up with, is something that's not going to be thought of as a attempt (fruitful or not) to remake one of the greatest/enduring comedies of all time, but rather, for it's well established reputation of stirring contention and controversy, to which Sony most definitely, had a hand in. As a guy who absolutely loves the original 1984 Ghostbusters (GB2 has it's moments), and would easily put it in my top 5 favorite films of all time, it's just a damn shame to think this near-universally beloved franchise may be mired to some extent in it's overall perception going forward by all the open antagonistic PC-Fear mongering crap that has transpired leading up to the release date of this "film".

Ugh.

[johnnygobbs]

If some people hadn't made such a big deal about this film's gender balance in the first place, it might have been allowed to die a peaceful fate at the box-office, instead of becoming a cause celebre for the SJW crowd.  As a consequence it may now, as The Joker suggests, sadly end up besmirching the legacy of the 1984 classic.

[The Joker]

Thing is, if this "film" bombs or doesn't even re-coup it's budget back domestically, then buh-bye Feig, franchise possibilities, and any kind of notion from supporters to prop this movie up as some sort of transcendent example of film making. 

Financially speaking, Feig's previous movies did not do badly. They just played well with the portion of the audience who don't spend a lot of time talking about them afterwards. Now throw in his idea of choosing a cast that's consciously and unashamedly inviting controversy where there should be none, and yeah, sounds like Sony's got themselves a winner for a viable franchise going forward.

Make your bed, and lie in it, Sony.

[johnnygobbs]

Thing is, if this "film" bombs or doesn't even re-coup it's budget back domestically, then buh-bye Feig, franchise possibilities, and any kind of notion from supporters to prop this movie up as some sort of transcendent example of film making. 

Financially speaking, Feig's previous movies did not do badly. They just played well with the portion of the audience who don't spend a lot of time talking about them afterwards. Now throw in his idea of choosing a cast that's consciously and unashamedly inviting controversy where there should be none, and yeah, sounds like Sony's got themselves a winner for a viable franchise going forward.

Make your bed, and lie in it, Sony.

I don't think Paul Feig was consciously trying to court controversy and turn his film into a cause celebre for liberals when he decided on an all-female cast.  I think he was just continuing with what he knows and his strengths as a 'woman's filmmaker' having scored big with the critically-acclaimed and hugely successful 'Bridesmaids' and 'Spy'.

Unfortunately, too many people on either side of the conservative/misogynist and liberal/SJW debate seized upon the film via social media and tried to turn it to some sort of battlefield in the damned culture war that is currently destroying our society (and by 'our' I mean the world at large, and not just the US).  It's a shame because this film should either have prospered or failed simply on the basis of its quality or otherwise, and not on external political posturing.  Not everything has to be turned into a frigging run-off into the general election.

[thecolorsblend]

Unfortunately, too many people on either side of the conservative/misogynist and liberal/SJW debate seized upon the film via social media

You just refuse to blame Sony for this, don't you?

[The Joker]

I don't think Paul Feig was consciously trying to court controversy and turn his film into a cause celebre for liberals when he decided on an all-female cast.  I think he was just continuing with what he knows and his strengths as a 'woman's filmmaker' having scored big with the critically-acclaimed and hugely successful 'Bridesmaids' and 'Spy'.

See, I'm more in the belief that Feig did want to stir up controversy, which Sony merrily went along with, by going the route they took. As it certainly lends itself to criticisms, and most definitely invites it. Problem is, relying on the current PC culture to quiet protestors on something they feel very passionate about doesn't always work, and didn't work in this case, which in turn had people associated with this film verbally label and attack fans who opposed this. Throw in Sony's conscious effort in deleting substantive arguments in order to sway the negative reaction as a misogyny angle, and the picture you have isn't pleasant.

The notion of female Ghostbusters isn't new. Dan Aykroyd has been a proponent of the idea for years, perhaps for even over a decade now, as he often mentioned it during interviews pertaining to GB3, and like Star Wars, adding one or two female Ghostbusters as leads for the new team would have been just peachy. That's been done before, and clearly it's a non-issue. It's when you pervert a beloved property to serve your own personal agenda/motives/viewpoint/needs, rather than serve the franchise and the fan base, is when you start having problems. Rather than be verbally combative, and painting the people who have issues with this take as misogynistic trolls, it would have been much more productive for Feig and Sony to pull back, and re-think their approach. Listen, compromise, and re-evaluate. If said director is unwilling, or uninterested in doing that, then you get yourself a new director. It's maddening to think how much of this could have been easily remedied, but nope. It became all too apparent that it was do or die. Full speed ahead and to hell with the opposition.

Way to go, guys.

Unfortunately, too many people on either side of the conservative/misogynist and liberal/SJW debate seized upon the film via social media and tried to turn it to some sort of battlefield in the damned culture war that is currently destroying our society (and by 'our' I mean the world at large, and not just the US).  It's a shame because this film should either have prospered or failed simply on the basis of its quality or otherwise, and not on external political posturing.  Not everything has to be turned into a frigging run-off into the general election.

I ideally agree with alot of what you said here. Given the chosen direction, it was going to be controversial from the jump, Sony and Feig deliberately fanning the flames did nothing but assist in increasing to the climate of debate.

Pitiful.

[The Dark Knight]

Make your bed, and lie in it, Sony.

It doesn't have blankets and sheets, but this bed will do Sony nicely.

[Catwoman]

I actually want to do that some way. Stupid me will screw up and get myself impaled head to toe though.