tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post6011241182985268003..comments2023-10-14T09:40:06.690-05:00Comments on Jean Kazez: Avatar and PhilosophyJean Kazezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00592593002719828153noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-83259487946312202822010-01-12T08:16:41.135-06:002010-01-12T08:16:41.135-06:00An interesting (and basically positive) view of Av...An interesting (and basically positive) view of Avatar from George Monbiot. <br /><br />http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/01/11/the-holocaust-we-will-not-see/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emails. wallersteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448905469871566228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-73897151230131205272010-01-11T10:16:03.697-06:002010-01-11T10:16:03.697-06:00Tom- Hmm... Titanic is a tougher cookie, since t...Tom- Hmm... Titanic is a tougher cookie, since the setting of the story almost requires people to be stereotypical. The Bourgeois and Steerage, etc. So everyone is really supposed to stay static, with the exception of Rose, who does develop quite a bit through the story. <br /><br />Cameron has a way of picking up on the resonance of particular lines and grinding them into the ground Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627147979307495870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-81863000411502757532010-01-11T07:28:48.473-06:002010-01-11T07:28:48.473-06:00Wayne,
Sorry to be slow in responding. Tastes, va...Wayne,<br /><br />Sorry to be slow in responding. Tastes, vary of course, but I find Cameron's writing to be long on formula and Hollywood zingers and short on character development and interesting plot twists. I thought *Titanic* was particularly poorly written. <br /><br />TomTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05074257624733067171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-27145390384256982822010-01-10T19:43:58.589-06:002010-01-10T19:43:58.589-06:00I trust you received that email alert--it containe...I trust you received that email alert--it contained lots of topic suggestions.<br /><br />Glad you liked it. Despite my grumblings, I was by all means much fun.Jean Kazeznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-40583011190958409632010-01-10T19:30:55.520-06:002010-01-10T19:30:55.520-06:00Saw Avatar. Loved it! Thinking about what to pit...Saw Avatar. Loved it! Thinking about what to pitch for the Avatar and philosophy volume. Maybe something about feminist ethics or animal rights.Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627147979307495870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-35816364421052176142010-01-10T12:43:34.652-06:002010-01-10T12:43:34.652-06:00technically The terminators arn't robots.... t...technically The terminators arn't robots.... they're cyborgs. :PWaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627147979307495870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-77988349333070060192010-01-10T10:10:53.110-06:002010-01-10T10:10:53.110-06:00Terminator is great but Aliens is my favorite by q...Terminator is great but Aliens is my favorite by quite a bit. <br /><br />Re: Avatar, if you ever do write about it for whatever reason, there is a book that James Cameron had made in conjunction with the movie that details the technology, physics and biology of the world in a fair ammount of detail. I haven't had a chance to look at it directly, but I read some excerpts and it seemed to me Faustnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-89463306596106887082010-01-10T08:23:54.403-06:002010-01-10T08:23:54.403-06:00As in "I'll be back" (Arnie voice).As in "I'll be back" (Arnie voice).Jean Kazeznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-17439736690894844782010-01-10T08:22:13.022-06:002010-01-10T08:22:13.022-06:00Yes, the visuals are totally awesome. Wayne, make ...Yes, the visuals are totally awesome. Wayne, make sure you go to a 3D showing! <br /><br />Faust...OK, that's good! Yes, extended mind, but you're right about why that's easy to miss as a theme. The plot and dialog don't do much with that.<br /><br />By the way, we are having a robot film festival in our house and we just watched Terminator 1 and 2. Violence was never as fun. IJean Kazeznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-75007643193410436582010-01-10T01:33:18.079-06:002010-01-10T01:33:18.079-06:00It is an unfortunate feature of Avatar that it rai...It is an unfortunate feature of Avatar that it raises many philosophical points very suggestively, but does absolutely nothing to explore them textually. With "The Matrix," one could actually quote bits from the movie as a launching point for philosophical commentary. With Avatar there is virtually no dialog that gets you going. <br /><br />Nevertheless, there are interesting ideas: Faustnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-48299276993814206592010-01-09T22:39:09.290-06:002010-01-09T22:39:09.290-06:00I haven't seen Avatar yet on account of my flu...I haven't seen Avatar yet on account of my flu.... but I plan on seeing it tomorrow. So I can give you a better idea of the wonderful philosophical insights that I can gleam from the movie... but off the top of my head, I think there is quite a lot to be said about identity, consciousness, environmental ethics, and such.<br /><br />Tom - Why do you think Cameron's movies are poorly Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08627147979307495870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-53089812288867201342010-01-09T16:43:44.604-06:002010-01-09T16:43:44.604-06:00I'll never understand why Cameron doesn't ...I'll never understand why Cameron doesn't hire scriptwriters for his movies. There's no doubt that the man has "visually stunning" down pat. But as a screenwriter, well, he's a helluva producer. I suspect his view of his writing ability (or lack thereof) is blocked out by his enormous ego.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05074257624733067171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310450667755637519.post-91098669468415172782010-01-09T15:33:18.115-06:002010-01-09T15:33:18.115-06:00Avatar is being discussed here.
http://feministphi...Avatar is being discussed here.<br />http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/once-upon-a-time/#comments<br /><br />I haven't seen the movie myself, but from what you say, Jean, and from what I read elsewhere, I don't think that I will, but then again, I never go to the movies.s. wallersteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448905469871566228noreply@blogger.com