I Was In Rare Form On "Lights, Camera, Barstool" Today
I was listening to today’s most recent episode of “Lights, Camera, Barstool” (which I recommend everyone listens to or watches on YouTube), and boy, I was on one, and not in a good way. Every topic that was brought up on the show ended with me having some mini-rant about how awful it was. Throughout different points in the show, I went off on
-Game Of Thrones
-She-Hulk
-Dwayne Johnson's movie career
-Horror movies
-The wi-fi at my house
I typically don’t have a problem ripping into pieces of media that I find pathetic, but even I have a limit. So while I don’t take back any of my opinions, I feel this is probably a good time to explain why movies seem to make me so goddamn angry.
I have (justifiably) developed a reputation as being far and away the most cynical person on LCB. I figured this would probably be the case. And while I tend to rage, I’m not someone who believes that my opinion should be the only opinion and that everyone else is wrong. Even when I see something I don’t like (which is often), I try to go out of my way to make sure that I acknowledge that I’m happy for those who enjoyed it. There’s nothing lamer than a person who tries to deny someone else’s passion for something consistently. For instance, I no longer believe that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is good anymore. I think the studio as a whole has become so much more focused on quantity than they have on quality. Does that mean that the people who love it are wrong? Of course not. It just means I don’t share their passion for it.
Growing up, movies were my escape. And even to this day, I believe that film is the most influential art form. A great movie can profoundly impact you and act as a checkpoint in your life. I’ve always believed that. I still believe that. Few things in life make me feel as good as seeing a great movie. And it’s why despite my frustration with the modern age, I’ll always continue to chase that feeling. With all of that said, I believe that film as an art form is devolving. In my opinion (and keep in mind, this is MY OPINION), most modern films are bloated, lame, boring, overly long, passionless drivel. It’s not to say that great movies don’t still exist because, of course, they do, but for the most part, most movies I see do nothing for me. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy discussing them. Talking about a movie, even a bad one, is one of my favorite things. Recording LCB every week and having the opportunity to discuss an art form that has meant so much to me throughout my life has been a dream come true because before I ever talked about sports on the internet, reviewing movies was my first love.
Despite my undeniable pessimism, I still disagree with the people who claim I have “bad takes” on movies. There’s no such thing. Movies aren’t sports. If you say that Mike Trout is a lousy hitter, numbers and statistics support the fact that that opinion is wrong. That doesn’t exist when talking about a subjective art form like film. And no, a high Rotten Tomatoes or IMDb score does not provide conclusive evidence that a movie is great. It just provides evidence that a movie is well received. I take things too personally when it comes to movies. I wouldn’t say I like having my time wasted, and I don’t like feeling as though my intelligence has been insulted. It’s why there was a period where I honestly considered leaving LCB because I felt like I was ruining it. I’m not going to change my opinions for anyone, but at the same time, if my cynicism is affecting how people feel about a podcast that people have spent years building an audience for, I don’t want to be the guy who stomps on it. I’ll always appreciate Jeff’s continued persistence that he wants me on LCB. I probably would’ve walked away out of sheer embarrassment if not for that.
I listen back to every show. It’s like watching game film. I want to pick up on what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong. I’m many things, but I’m not funny. And I feel like that plagues me sometimes. Jeff, KenJac, and Gooch are so good at what they do. I’m amazed they can take a discussion about even the worst movie and turn it into an insightful and funny conversation. I wish I could do that. I don’t have that level of optimism. I hope to get there, though. The best way to get better is by working with the best. And even through all the frustration, there have been those moments where the hopefulness shines through (watch our "Top Gun: Maverick" review for example.) I view being a film fan the way I view being a sports fan. Few seasons end with a championship and very few movies are great, but you chase that feeling. Seeing a great film is one of the best highs, and I will keep chasing that no matter what.
