tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post1756082595939185324..comments2024-02-27T10:53:43.331-05:00Comments on Big Media Vandalism: Those Southern Folks Sure Got It MaidSteven Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10533736956366847765noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-50475571706325273412011-12-06T12:01:08.556-05:002011-12-06T12:01:08.556-05:00SEEKER, try not to sound so much like an opinionat...SEEKER, try not to sound so much like an opinionated idiot. Films stand on their own. I should never have to resort to reading a book to realize how far from the mark a film adaptation was, or to make something clear that obstuse in the movie. In this case going to the book doesn't mean much because in my opinion the book is not that great anyway, if anything the movie made some things that were in the book more palatable. Still none of that has much to do with the fact that this is the type of story that Hollywood keeps coming back to when it wants to tell any type of black-centric story. I mean white people already gripe about how Hollywood tries to showhorn blacks and other minorities into films where they stick out like a sore thumb by their presence, yet those same people have no problem that movies about black people seemingly always find a way to have a white viewpoint character and the blacks end up taking a back seat. (Last King of Scotland, Amistad, American Gangster, The Cotton Club, Glory, etc.) <br />And Finally everybody that is not entertained by the plablum Hollywood thinks they should like has their "Head up their ass" unlike certain people who conveniently have their head stuck in the sand.NelsonStJameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954495627294835825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-42762602933492034722011-08-30T00:16:05.028-04:002011-08-30T00:16:05.028-04:00The most frustrating thing about the response to t...The most frustrating thing about the response to this movie (and the book before it) was how many people reacted to it like it was the fifth Gospel in terms of race relations. Shouldn't we be past this by now? This movie might have been radical if released thirty or forty years ago, but now it seems a bit diluted. It also reminded me of when MILK came out (so to speak) and how everyone was getting worked up about it and there were people for whom this was the first time they'd ever really thought about the issues or heard of the ideas involved.Butterfly McQueenhttp://www.oscarmaid.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-62658971671795451462011-08-24T14:13:32.238-04:002011-08-24T14:13:32.238-04:00Reminds me of the Last King of Scotland. I just c...Reminds me of the Last King of Scotland. I just couldn't get over the 'Scottish Doctor' bit - typical Hollywood insult to my intelligence/humanity, that I couldn't relate to an African story just about Africans, I needed to have a White Guy in the story in order to understand (or even apparently to watch it). Conversely, that is what is so incredible about Hotel Rawanda - no White Guy needed to tell an incredible story. You nailed it Odienator!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14101111920687716352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-21743639192376796092011-08-23T16:07:02.845-04:002011-08-23T16:07:02.845-04:00This is my favourite review of both the book AND t...This is my favourite review of both the book AND the movie. You nailed how I felt, too. Ha ha ha. Damn you can write. I'm subscribing to this blog.Susie Moloneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370834941056302322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-13894036777325928302011-08-23T15:35:38.409-04:002011-08-23T15:35:38.409-04:00drmathochist, thanks for your comment. I don't...drmathochist, thanks for your comment. I don't think the film is a complete failure. There are several things I enjoyed about it, and I regret not mentioning Sissy Spacek's amusing turn as the mother of Supreme Racist Lady #1. Spacek is fun.<br /><br />I've read pieces that refused to acknowledge when the film worked, and I didn't want to do that here. Good work is worth mentioning, no matter how one may feel about the film's message or its methodology. <br /><br />I'm dying to hear my Mom's take on the movie, which she's seeing this weekend.odienatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10926978706604468636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-86108490545879973662011-08-23T15:29:08.602-04:002011-08-23T15:29:08.602-04:00Seeker, I suggest you realize this is a review of ...Seeker, I suggest you realize this is a review of the MOVIE, not the book. I further suggest that you don't concern yourself with what's up my ass. It's a slippery slope you are traveling down. Mind your damn business! <br /><br />As for reading the book: Let me be polite in my response: <br /><br />FUCK NO!!!! Life is too short.<br /><br />But thank you for saying the piece was cleverly written. You obviously have good taste.odienatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10926978706604468636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-73228847037310129782011-08-23T15:18:40.649-04:002011-08-23T15:18:40.649-04:00Anonymous, good catch on the name. Thank you. Fixe...Anonymous, good catch on the name. Thank you. Fixed now.odienatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10926978706604468636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-52075988294638943672011-08-23T14:20:32.587-04:002011-08-23T14:20:32.587-04:00Movie isn't in my town yet, but I have read th...Movie isn't in my town yet, but I have read the book. Skeeter is easily the most tedious character, flat, whiny, and not very bright. The film I would have liked to have seen is the maid writing her own damn book.Dana Stabenowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15493173907957654118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-52227808782330536352011-08-23T13:36:53.929-04:002011-08-23T13:36:53.929-04:00Interesting piece, but you repeatedly made one err...Interesting piece, but you repeatedly made one error -- Octavia Spencer's character is Minny Jackson, not Milly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-61375187293183409282011-08-23T13:36:50.743-04:002011-08-23T13:36:50.743-04:00Excellent critique; I may disagree in some of the ...Excellent critique; I may disagree in some of the judgement calls about whether certain things worked or not, and there's room for discussion around the edges, but you advance very good points without pretending that the film is an absolute failure. That's more than I can say for a lot of the reviews I've seen.<br /><br />I suppose I could understand the vitriol people are pouring out over a flawed attempt with good intentions if they were up in arms about every other film that comes out with even bigger problems. When I see a reviewer laugh off implications of racism in <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, it feels like mere iconoclasm when they get bent out of shape over <i>The Help</i>. Thanks for providing carefully reasoned criticism that doesn't just paint everything in black and white -- so to speak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-18749012014981184952011-08-23T13:20:53.017-04:002011-08-23T13:20:53.017-04:00Best write up I've read on this film. Thanks f...Best write up I've read on this film. Thanks for the laughs and for the insight.Naomi Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08005429772070247806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-51832781701782368362011-08-23T12:10:13.226-04:002011-08-23T12:10:13.226-04:00Cleverly written, but pull your head out of your a...Cleverly written, but pull your head out of your ass and read the book. <br /><br />The book was written with great depth and character -- reminds me of Mark Twain, when he was writing the really GOOD stuff.<br /><br />The movie was wonderful, far better than I predicted. The difficulty was going to somehow transfer the depth and magic of the writing, into a movie.<br /><br /><br />The writing was so good, so perfect, it hurt your teeth. <br /><br />I suggest you sit your pompus ass down and read it, or listen to it on audio.Seekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10206503506011763393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-4736718598941019032011-08-23T11:48:11.091-04:002011-08-23T11:48:11.091-04:00Easily my favorite piece written about this movie,...Easily my favorite piece written about this movie, the overblown discussion of which I just can't seem to escape. GREAT read.Kurtis Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165467665175732583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14169925.post-5359646218345041312011-08-23T03:44:43.692-04:002011-08-23T03:44:43.692-04:00Excellent, excellent piece. And funny as hell. P...Excellent, excellent piece. And funny as hell. Pissed myself at the Hucklebuck line. Almost literally.Ali Arikanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02293558856795196349noreply@blogger.com