RIP IMDB Message Boards
The years of trolling will never be forgotten
shareIn all seriousness, shutting the boards down was probably the worst decision ever.
IMDB will soon realize how bad it was.
If they really wanted to get rid of spams and mindless trolls to keep the discussions civil and interesting, there were many ways to do so.
I disagree. The so-called nerd culture has being growing more entitled, bitter and ignorant by the day, at least online, and these boards have been at the center of that. I remember a time when being a fan meant liking something, now it means furiously hating something long before it's even released. "They're making a movie about my favorite comic book characters?! Terrible, atrocious, cringe worthy, they're gonna ruin it, worst movie ever! Uh, who's... who's in it? Not the guy I would've chosen?! Why do they do this to the fans?!" From putting movies, actors and directors on a pedestal just because they died when they were being viciously hated the night before, to claiming movies featuring super powered men in capes are for kids like it's a bad thing and turning wishful thinking, often negative, about upcoming movies' lack of success, into rumors, I say good riddance!
shareIt's because you see only one end of the spectrum.
Everything you said is true and this board was/is perfect example of all that.
But I'm not talking about that. I've never visited other boards just so I can hate that movie. To me that's a total waste of time. Especially to get into mindless discussions about DC vs Marvel stuff.
Here you talk about people hating on something and yet what have you been doing for a while here on TDKR board?
No you see, these boards were great for finding something about not well-known, especially foreign movies, which I watch a lot.
You will very rarely find any discussion about those films online. It takes a lot of "googling", if you can find any at all.
There were many movies that I initially didn't like but just because I found some interesting discussions on these boards, it got me to watch the movie again and change my initial opinion.
It's because you see only one end of the spectrum.
Yet I provided examples of both ends, and the thin line that separates them.
Here you talk about people hating on something and yet what have you been doing for a while here on TDKR board?
Not true, because I don't hate the movie. I don't find it anything special, in some ways I think it's downright bad and I think it's a very disappointing sequel to a movie I love, but generally speaking I don't even think it deserves a negative score, just keep in mind that usually when it comes to movie series discussion always takes place on the board of the latest installment. But I have never shown hatred towards the movie, and all the negative things I said about it were always properly contextualized, as were the positive ones. If anything you could say I hate most of its online audience, not those who liked, or even loved the movie, but those who claim it's seen by pop culture as one of the best movies in cinema history, directed by the contemporary Kubrick, while being unable to acknowledge any flaw, which, in my opinion, is part of the fun when discussing movies, even movies and directors you love, one should be able to see both the bad and the good, without letting it affect one's enjoyment, of course. But blind bandwagon jumpers that create a cult of personality with undeserved merit around a director they never gave a sh!t about before a casting choice they were furiously and unfairly hating ended up with the actor dying a very sensationalized death, that I can't stand, and I can't stand how it spread to other boards, other movies, other directors and pop culture in general. I mean, look at what happened with BvS. I also didn't think the movie was anything special, but it's pretty clear most hate it simply for daring to exist, while every new Christopher Nolan movie gets Oscar predictions before filming even starts. It's like people don't enjoy movies anymore, they form extremist opinions based on sensationalism and hype and then simply adapt the movies to them when they're finally released.
No you see, these boards were great for finding something about not well-known, especially foreign movies, which I watch a lot. You will very rarely find any discussion about those films online. It takes a lot of "googling", if you can find any at all.
Speaking as a fan of foreign and obscure cinema, I think the site itself is good enough for that, as it was before the boards, but the movies in question always had much more complete boards on dedicated sites, especially now with social networking. Googling is a small price to pay.
There were many movies that I initially didn't like but just because I found some interesting discussions on these boards, it got me to watch the movie again and change my initial opinion.
That's the positive side of these boards. Hell, of any message boards, but that's not why I think they should go, obviously. Let's face it, on most blockbusters' boards the situation has become unbearable. Like John Fallon from AITH once called them when he dared to take a look, "an intellect cesspool". share
All art is subjective. What some consider as flaws, others do not. Or are more flexible.
In this sense ALL movies have flaws. In almost every movie there is, you can find more logical ways to deal with plots than characters do, but that would be nit-picking and it would take away the enjoyment if you expect the movie to behave like you wanted to, or expected to.
Forgive me, but saying that you hate people that like to compare Nolan with Kubrick, and who think Nolan films are great, is pretty narrow-minded and wrong way to look at things.
That way you are bound to get yourself in the argument neither party can win.
Who are you to say that they are wrong for thinking The Dark Knight Rises is one of the best movies ever made, for example? Based on what criteria?
For example some like Kurosawa for his slow paced plots and lot of physically expressive acting, some like Kubrick for his visual storytelling, some like Tarkovsky for his melancholic and sentimental atmosphere. And some like Nolan for his troubled characters and their psychological struggles shown on a bigger scale.
Like many of the "haters" around here, you are generalizing too much. You've met some bad apples here defending a movie (which most regular fans ignored because of the obvious trolling) and you think that speaks the volume?
For example, I can create 20 accounts spamming this board with mindless nonsense on how this movie sucked, and would it prove anything? Absolutely not. People need to realize that imdb's vocal posters are not representatives of the film's quality.
I have dozen friends who don't even know about the imdb boards while we discuss movies in person.
That's the positive side of these boards. Hell, of any message boards, but that's not why I think they should go, obviously. Let's face it, on most blockbusters' boards the situation has become unbearable. Like John Fallon from AITH once called them when he dared to take a look, "an intellect cesspool".
No idea who John Fallon is but I can tell you that I left the boards many times just because I couldn't be bothered wasting time reading to piles of sh!t.
As you said it was mostly only on popular movies so I couldn't care less.
There are many other websites where you can find rational and civilized discussion for those movies, but not for the foreign and not well-known movies.
That's why it is such a bad idea to shut these boards down.
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All art is subjective. What some consider as flaws, others do not. Or are more flexible.
In this sense ALL movies have flaws. In almost every movie there is, you can find more logical ways to deal with plots than characters do, but that would be nit-picking and it would take away the enjoyment if you expect the movie to behave like you wanted to, or expected to.
Duh, that's what makes movie discussion so much fun in the first place. In theory, that is, because what's going on right now is that no one seems to accept that subjectivity anymore.
Forgive me, but saying that you hate people that like to compare Nolan with Kubrick
It's an idiotic comparison between two very different directors made for the wrong reasons.
and who think Nolan films are great
I didn't say that, there's no account for taste. You'd be surprised to know the kind of movies I find great...! But I don't go around comparing their directors to very different directors who happen to be considered the best just to validate my opinions, I'm not that insecure. Unlike, say, my stalker, oblivionassho!e. Do you sit around all day hitting F5 just to see if I posted something? I don't even read your messages anymore, I know what they're going to say the moment I notice your nickname, because they've been saying the same thing for months. Get a life, already!
Who are you to say that they are wrong for thinking The Dark Knight Rises is one of the best movies ever made, for example? Based on what criteria?
Pop culture's criteria. Nothing wrong with them claiming it's their all time favorite movie, I actually respect that, but to claim it's seen as one as the best, the same way, say, The Godfather or Citizen Kane are... well, that's just factually wrong, no matter how I feel about the movie. And I don't even like those two mentioned that much, they're not my type, but their place in pop culture is quite clear.
For example some like Kurosawa for his slow paced plots and lot of physically expressive acting, some like Kubrick for his visual storytelling, some like Tarkovsky for his melancholic and sentimental atmosphere. And some like Nolan for his troubled characters and their psychological struggles shown on a bigger scale.
See what I mean? Kurosawa, Kubrick, Tarkovsky... Nolan?! Those names don't even belong in the same sentence, not because who's better or worse, but because they belong to completely different worlds regarding their place in cinema history and popularity, completely different contexts. The first three, if you're writing a book about cinema history, you just have to mention them. You may not like their movies, personally I'm not a big fan of either, but that's the position they occupy. Christopher Nolan if anything would get a footnote regarding the popularity of super-hero flicks in early 21st century, he's just not that relevant at this point, sorry. More specifically, he doesn't have that same kind of relevance, that would place him in the same context as those three. Compare him to... I don't know, Spielberg, Cameron, maybe, that would make sense, but... Kurosawa, Kubrick and Tarkovsky? Please, completely different directors, completely different worlds, completely different movies and completely different audiences. You might as well compare Stephen King to Shakespeare, Dickens and Hemingway. And I love Stephen King, as a horror fan I love him more than the others mentioned, but, like you were saying, who am I to say pop culture's wrong? My personal preferences are my own.
Like many of the "haters" around here, you are generalizing too much. You've met some bad apples here defending a movie (which most regular fans ignored because of the obvious trolling) and you think that speaks the volume?
Of course I'm generalizing, that was the point, but the problem is that such examples are the rule, not the exception, on these boards, they're not just some bad apples. So yes, it does speak the volume.
For example, I can create 20 accounts spamming this board with mindless nonsense on how this movie sucked, and would it prove anything? Absolutely not. People need to realize that imdb's vocal posters are not representatives of the film's quality.
Of course not, I never said they were, it's the attitude itself, and how contagious it seems to be, that annoys me, and apparently not just me, if they're actually pulling the plug.
No idea who John Fallon is
Actor, director and, up until recently, reviewer on Joblo's Arrow in the Head.
There are many other websites where you can find rational and civilized discussion for those movies, but not for the foreign and not well-known movies.
You think? I'm a huge fan of Italian gialli, for example, and not only I've found several sites and boards over the years but also several Facebook groups, recently. There are Facebook groups for everything, these days...
That's why it is such a bad idea to shut these boards down.
Usually I'm all for live and let live, but the toxic level around here has reached unacceptable heights. I'm actually curious to see if their closing down will restore some balance, in the long run. share
Duh, that's what makes movie discussion so much fun in the first place. In theory, that is, because what's going on right now is that no one seems to accept that subjectivity anymore.
Of course I'm generalizing, that was the point, but the problem is that such examples are the rule, not the exception, on these boards, they're not just some bad apples. So yes, it does speak the volume.
I'm gonna use this and respond to other points you were making regarding posters here on imdb. These are the last days of the boards so I'm not interested in who's done this or that over the years and can't be bothered reading poster history.
It seems that you are very obsessed about people around here. That's why you are missing my point about the irrelevance of the vocal haters/fanboys on these boards. They DO NOT speak volume whatsoever. It's not how it goes in real life.
Let me give you a fact for this board for example.
For years this board had more negative threads than positive. Not to mention certain "spammers" who we all laughed at their attempts, as if that would bring the quality of this film down.
I've discussed this movie with many people in person, also its flaws. I'm seriously yet to meet a single person to tell me they did not like the film, and vast majority of them loved it. You can add critical acclaim and high ratings on any movie website, plus the awards such as AFI etc.
Pleas note: Not to say that it matters at all, I'm merely pointing out the different picture between the "facts" on imdb boards and reality.
It's an idiotic comparison between two very different directors made for the wrong reasons.
See what I mean? Kurosawa, Kubrick, Tarkovsky... Nolan?! Those names don't even belong in the same sentence, not because who's better or worse, but because they belong to completely different worlds regarding their place in cinema history and popularity, completely different contexts. The first three, if you're writing a book about cinema history, you just have to mention them. You may not like their movies, personally I'm not a big fan of either, but that's the position they occupy. Christopher Nolan if anything would get a footnote regarding the popularity of super-hero flicks in early 21st century, he's just not that relevant at this point, sorry.
It's perfectly reasonable to compare Nolan to any of the directors I mentioned. For exact reasons I said and you confirmed. Why? Because they are different, because they make movies differently but the quality is still there.
For example Batman movies were piece of cake for Nolan and even The Dark Knight can be compared to the likes of The Godfather and Citizen Kane witch you mentioned.
But Inception, Memento and Interstellar are different beasts of films in that regard.
It's the films like this that got Nolan's recognition among the greatest filmmakers.
This is not only me saying it, many other fellow directors compared his work to all time greats, many actors compared his work to all time greats.
You see I can accept and I actually think that neither of his Batman film is his best made movie. That title can go to either Memento or Inception.
Many people point out the "flaws" in those movies but the fact is, even with all the exposition, they didn't actually pay attention to the details. It's because of the Memento and its attention to the detail that we can connect to those "flaws" in Inception that really aren't the flaws if you pay the attention.
Already with Memento we got to see what director Nolan is and how his storytelling can be compared to any of the directors I mentioned. It's different but that's what originality is all about.
Good directors don't make the films for the sake of making good films, they make films to tell a story in their own way. And Memento, Interstallar and Inception are perfect example of why Nolan can be compared to great directors.
In reality he isn't even my favorite director, I brought him up now because you seemed confused why people and many critics as well as fellow directors and actors, compare him to the likes of Kubrick etc.
It's your fault that you can't see past the pop-culture and the media hyping superhero flicks and attributing Nolan to just that, which is unfair and narrow-minded.
You think? I'm a huge fan of Italian gialli, for example, and not only I've found several sites and boards over the years but also several Facebook groups, recently. There are Facebook groups for everything, these days...
Fair point but I don't have social network, so facebook is a no go for me.
And other sites I visited, they either lack detailed discussion or are not well structured in threads like imdb boards.
Usually I'm all for live and let live, but the toxic level around here has reached unacceptable heights.
You are again wrong because you can't see past the trolling and all the hype in pop-culture. The toxicity is only in popular(read hyped and new films) boards.
The simple fact can be found even on boards from Nolan film.
Let's not fool ourselves, we both know how much hate Nolan gets on these boards and yet you go to a place like Memento board and after all these years, people actually talk about the movie and not some childish trolling nonsense.
So witnessing that even a "Nolan" board can have civil people around discussing things, we can agree that any other would be the same(except those I mentioned), that's why shutting this place down is a bad idea.
I'm actually curious to see if their closing down will restore some balance, in the long run.
Please don't tell me you are actually one of those people that think majority or even more than 10% of imdb votes are from the trolls and nutjubs from the vocal people of the imdb boards? share
You said that Noan isn't your favorite director. Now I'm curious: who is your top3?
shareKubrick is my favorite director. Although it doesn't really matter as I don't look at directors like one would look at favorite sport team or such.
I'd throw in there Tarkovsky definitely and maybe Hitchcock.
It's hard focusing on top3 only as there are many that would go unnoticed and Nolan is certainly one of those.
But I have never shown hatred towards the movie, and all the negative things I said about it were always properly contextualized, as were the positive ones.
Funny just searching through your post history 90% of your comments are negative. After all you agree with justanicknamed. A blind Nolan hater.
If anything you could say I hate most of its online audience, not those who liked, or even loved the movie, but those who claim it's seen by pop culture as one of the best movies in cinema history, directed by the contemporary Kubrick, while being unable to acknowledge any flaw, which, in my opinion, is part of the fun when discussing movies, even movies and directors you love, one should be able to see both the bad and the good, without letting it affect one's enjoyment, of course.
http://batman-news.com/2016/08/18/the-dark-knight-twitter-fav7films/
http://www.imdb.com/chart/top
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/awards
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight
http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-dark-knight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Film_Institute_Awards_2008
Sorry but it looks to me like it did get pop culture's stamp of approval...
But blind bandwagon jumpers that create a cult of personality with undeserved merit around a director they never gave a sh!t about before a casting choice they were furiously and unfairly hating ended up with the actor dying a very sensationalized death, that I can't stand, and I can't stand how it spread to other boards, other movies, other directors and pop culture in general.
This is always your scapegoat. Is it possible that people just thought Heath did a great job? Or does all the praise he got rely completely on his untimely death? Remember people disliked Michael Keaton when he was cast as well bud. Lord of the rings broke the mold and became the first fantasy movie to collect a best picture Oscar. TDK transcended the superhero genre and became a cinema great. There is always something which comes along and breaks the mold.
I mean, look at what happened with BvS. I also didn't think the movie was anything special, but it's pretty clear most hate it simply for daring to exist, while every new Christopher Nolan movie gets Oscar predictions before filming even starts.
I am pretty sure people hate it because it is a sh!t film. Other superhero movies have gotten good reception released around the same time. Captain America Civil War comes to mind. Batman Begins, TDK and TDKR all were very well critically received. Is it possible BVS got panned simply because critics and people did not like it? The Lego Batman movie is getting well received isn't that interesting. No I guess you are right it's all a big Nolan conspiracy he paid those people to dislike BVS.
Nolan getting Oscar buzz is not new every director that is a household name has that happen. Every time Fincher has a movie coming out people talk about his Oscar chances same goes for Tarantino. Last thing is you are just a big hypocrite pal. You claimed that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is objectively a better villain than Heath Ledger's Joker. There is no way to make that objective. You have every right to think he is better but if it were objective it would be a fact and it is not lol. You tried to pawn off your opinion as fact. So other people can not do that but you can.
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