MovieChat Forums > The Book of Daniel (2006) Discussion > There's funny, intelligent satire, and t...

There's funny, intelligent satire, and then there's this.

posted 18 years ago by halloweenfan2004
9 replies | jump to latest

People are praising this in the same way that people are praising Brokeback Mountain. It's the same mentality that because it's controversial that it's great. I didn't enjoy Brokeback Mountain because it was weak in too many places. The casting, the screenplay, the acting. It just felt weak. The same goes for "The Book of Daniel". A lot of people dug the show since it was so controversial. I wasn't concerned about the controversy. I wanted to know if the show was funny or not. It wasn't. It didn't feel that fresh or intelligent to me, and it definately didn't have the makings of a classic sitcom by any means.

[–] SkeksisGirl 18 years ago

I think a lot of people are angry about BoD for the reaction that the AFA had and the fact that the AFA is claiming they are the soul reason it got taken off the air. Those that liked the show will like it for the show's merits, those that just want to gripe about how the orginizations like the AFA are making things worse for a lot of different people will come here, just like people who are majorly against PETA will gather at the Jennifer Lopez boards.

As for Brokeback Mountain... sorry, Ang Lee (SP?) lost a movie goer after the Farce that was The Hulk. Also the only actor I'd want to see in the movie is Anne Hathaway, so not much for me to want to see. The fact that it's a Homosexual Love story is pretty much low on the totem pole for me. Hell I love Rent and think Angel and Collins were the perfect couple. So it's totally on the merits of the actors and directors for me here.

[–] mlehman-4 18 years ago

I actually watched the show because I liked it. Really. I a started to watch it because of the controversy and... I expected to hate it. But I liked the characters, I liked story lines. (Please note, I may not be the best person to rely on when it comes to what is good or not good on TV. I have been known to watch just about anything. That being said, I really did like this show.)

I'm really curious about some of the unresoved storylines. I wonder if the writers might tell where they were going with some of the stories, or intend to save some of the stories for other series they will work on later.

As for Ang Lee, The Hulk was terrible. And, I am glad that Brokeback mountain was not here in my town during Xmas. My wife would have made me see it. It's not the homosexual love story I object to. It's just that it looks similar to "Bridges of Madison County." Or at least, appeals to the same type of people who liked that. And I HATED that flick.

Mike

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hourlongminutes 18 years ago

I'd like to see a gay riot just because you could send a fourteen year old kidd out there with a baseball bat and he's take down the entire "mob". Angry gay people are funny, but not intimidating.

[–] explainmyself 18 years ago

Stereotype much?

[–] kilgore2345 18 years ago

As for Brokeback Mountain... sorry, Ang Lee (SP?) lost a movie goer after the Farce that was The Hulk.

I am not a Hulk apologist, but what is exactly wrong with that movie as oppose to X-Men or Spider-Man? What makes it a "farce?"

Also, why do you reject any post-Hulk Ang Lee film based on The Hulk without taking into account the entirity of his film oeurve (i.e. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)? This is rather specious reasoning for not seeing a film. I guess along these same lines I can base all my future judgments of Orson Welles based on his voice work in Transformers: The Movie and 80s hotdog ads. Ultimately it is your choice as a consumer, but any creative person produces flops at time (William Shakespeare's Titus Adronicious, for example.)

[–] SkeksisGirl 18 years ago

I am not a Hulk apologist, but what is exactly wrong with that movie as oppose to X-Men or Spider-Man? What makes it a "farce?"

Spider-Man and X-Men were advertised as movies with lots of action and delivered. The Hulk was advertised as the action movie to see and it was 90% melodrama, 9% Drama and 1% action. Though it was a decent plot, and decent movie, it just really turned me off. Also, Ang was on shakey ground with me at the time because I also wasn't a huge fan of CTHD. I didn't hate the movie but I also wasn't like "OMFG! I MUST OWN THIS MOVIE!". I wasn't really into how Ang handled the drama, and well not a huge fan of Bana either.

As for Brokeback, the only actor I'd maybe see the film for is Anne Hathaway, but that's it, and it's not enough for me to spend 10 bucks to go to the movies for. I'm not a huge fan of how Ang handles Drama, not a huge fan of the main actors and not a huge fan of straight westerns, so it really was a combination of things.

Also, why do you reject any post-Hulk Ang Lee film based on The Hulk without taking into account the entirity of his film oeurve (i.e. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)?

Like I said, wasn't a fan of CTHD, also as I had said, he lost a movie goer, I'm not going to the theater to see any of Ang's movies. I'll rent them... watch them on TV, but I won't pay 10 bucks to sit in a theater and be bored. Which has happened with all of Ang's movies that I've seen.

This is rather specious reasoning for not seeing a film.

Seems to be good reasons not to go to the theater to me.

I guess along these same lines I can base all my future judgments of Orson Welles based on his voice work in Transformers: The Movie and 80s hotdog ads. Ultimately it is your choice as a consumer, but any creative person produces flops at time (William Shakespeare's Titus Adronicious, for example.)

Yeah, but doesn't mean I'm going to a theater to see said flop after a movie that I was like "Whatever" on and another movie that I was like "Ugh" on.

[–] kilgore2345 18 years ago

Like I said, wasn't a fan of CTHD, also as I had said, he lost a movie goer, I'm not going to the theater to see any of Ang's movies.

Actually you said,

sorry, Ang Lee (SP?) lost a movie goer after the Farce that was The Hulk.

No mention of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in that initial post as to a reason of losing a movie goer, just The Hulk. Nor was their any mention of any other film other than The Hulk.

Spider-Man and X-Men were advertised as movies with lots of action and delivered. The Hulk was advertised as the action movie to see and it was 90% melodrama, 9% Drama and 1% action.

I am sure that Ang Lee was responsible for the advertising blitz of The Hulk. What is the difference between melodrama and drama, by the way? I suppose it wasn't melodrama in Spider-Man, but something more genuine.

I'm not a huge fan of how Ang handles Drama

How does he handle drama?

It is specious reasoning with the information you provided. In that initial post there was no mention of any Ang Lee film outside of The Hulk, so it is concluded that you base all further opinions made on Ang Lee off on The Hulk. Perhaps I am being abtruse, when I mention seeing a film I mean all the possible ways of seeing a film, not just paying for a theater ticket.

[–] SkeksisGirl 18 years ago

No mention of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in that initial post as to a reason of losing a movie goer, just The Hulk. Nor was their any mention of any other film other than The Hulk.

Then you asked about CTHD and I answered.

I am sure that Ang Lee was responsible for the advertising blitz of The Hulk. What is the difference between melodrama and drama, by the way? I suppose it wasn't melodrama in Spider-Man, but something more genuine.

Actually, I feel that Kirsten Dunst as MJ is very melodramatic, and no, Ang is not responsible for Universal selling us a movie that wasn't there.

How does he handle drama?

To me, his Dramas feel like Soap Operas. There's a reason I don't watch Soap Operas... they're boring.

It is specious reasoning with the information you provided. In that initial post there was no mention of any Ang Lee film outside of The Hulk, so it is concluded that you base all further opinions made on Ang Lee off on The Hulk.

So you assumed something without any prior knowledge and condemn me on it. Very rude of you and you do know what they say about assuming things. Perhaps you need to dial down the attitude. I don't like Ang Lee Movies, should that be a reasaon to hate me? I don't think so. I also don't like movies done by Quentin Tarintino or however you spell his name. Does that make me a bad person? Doubt it, it's a matter of opinion.

Perhaps I am being abtruse, when I mention seeing a film I mean all the possible ways of seeing a film, not just paying for a theater ticket.

There are catagories of movie watching for me. There are movies that I want to see in the theater at midnight on opening night (examples: X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3, Star Wars, Harry Potter 5, Superman Returns, PotC 2.), there are movies I want to see in the theater for the Big Screen Experience (example: The Wild, Cars, Clerks 2, Santa Clause 3, Shaggy Dog, Eragon, Ghost Rider, and Ice Age 2).

Then we get to movies that I wanted to see in the theater but didn't have the ability to. They end up movies I buy in DVD (Example: Howl's Moving Castle, Stay, Inuyasha, most anime), then there are movies that end up as renters (Example: Ultraviolet, Silent Hill, and most of the stuff coming out these days), then we get to stuff I might watch on TV or most likely never will until someone sits be down and forces me to watch it (Example: Mallrats, Napolean Dynamite, Birth of a Nation, Swing Kids). Sure some of the stuff I was forced to watch I liked, but doesn't mean I'll watch it on my own.

So, when I said he lost a movie goer, I was being literal. I won't go to see his movies, but I'm sure I'll see Brokeback Mountain, just not in the theater.