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If The Young Pope wins, I think I'll make the round three or even four weeks to accommodate its length.

That being the case, we could make a viewing schedule: everyone watches an episode and responds to it by a certain day, so we're all following along at about the same rate, sharing our reaction to each episode. Sort of like we were watching it on a broadcast schedule. I do miss when the board used to follow a tv show week by week. I think the last time we did that was with Justified years and years ago. Would be fun to recapture it here.

Anyone with me?

Sounds like fun. Get your Cherry Coke Zeros cold now

Switched my vote in hopes of hearing the Mr Sausage commentary x10

This is intriguing. I do think it functions better as a cohesive whole and honestly benefits from hindsight for analysis but this sounds like a great idea and I just hope those voting for it are actually going to watch and not just to see a commentary (but I suppose that will probably promote viewership so it’s a win either way). I’m game.

Also, I wish I was a participant on this forum for Justified’s run. What a show.

I mean, those who’ve already seen it will have to sit out most of the discussion til the end of the viewings because there’s no way to not talk about the central aspects of the narrative that aren’t really apparent until the end. But the example of the Justified thread is the kind of speculative posting first time viewers will be able to provide at least, and there’s still some aspects returning viewers can touch on for everyone’s first pass. I think there’s going to need to be spoilers in place for non-scheduled episodes though

I really talked my way out of Vox Lux winning this vote, I can't believe it

domino harvey wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:12 pm

I mean, those who’ve already seen it will have to sit out most of the discussion til the end of the viewings because there’s no way to not talk about the central aspects of the narrative that aren’t really apparent until the end. But the example of the Justified thread is the kind of speculative posting first time viewers will be able to provide at least, and there’s still some aspects returning viewers can touch on for everyone’s first pass. I think there’s going to need to be spoilers in place for non-scheduled episodes though

I think parallel discussions could work so long as anything regarding non-scheduled episodes is spoiler tagged. If the people who've seen the whole want to get right to discussing it as a whole, I'd rather they not be stopped. And there might be people who'd much prefer to binge the show, and I'd rather they not be hampered, either.

If enough people are going to participate in an incremental discussion, the project will definitely benefit from everyone staying in step with each other. The progression of this character study is special because it feeds the development through relationships with many worldly and mystical forces so each episode complexly shifts one’s understanding enough so that I could see one person skipping ahead and having a completely opposing perspective to the person one behind/on task. At least that was my experience watching this the first time (and a main reason I consider it such a perfect work as intelligent and spiritual). I agree that watching it in one’s own preferred way is usually ideal (and mine would be 1-2 sittings) but I’d be interested to see what would happen if people contributed more collaboratively with equal information like a book club, and I’d be up to follow along one episode at a time.

Regardless of what wins, this should happen.

therewillbeblus wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:37 pm

If enough people are going to participate in an incremental discussion, the project will definitely benefit from everyone staying in step with each other. The progression of this character study is special because it feeds the development through relationships with many worldly and mystical forces so each episode complexly shifts one’s understanding enough so that I could see one person skipping ahead and having a completely opposing perspective to the person one behind/on task. At least that was my experience watching this the first time (and a main reason I consider it such a perfect work as intelligent and spiritual). I agree that watching it in one’s own preferred way is usually ideal (and mine would be 1-2 sittings) but I’d be interested to see what would happen if people contributed more collaboratively with equal information like a book club, and I’d be up to follow along one episode at a time.

Regardless of what wins, this should happen.

Ok. I'm not usually one for dictating discussion, but it sounds like it's worth it here. I guess we'll see how many are willing to participate (and, hell, if it even wins), but I think I'll delay the start date a bit to work out a viewing/posting schedule that I'll put up, and maybe set up something to gauge how many are planning to participate.

Yeah I don’t like dictating discussion either I just think if enough people who are new to it are game and are interested to democratically sign on for such a system and agree to a schedule that works, it’ll be worth it. But I think you’re right that it really will depend on if that kind of collective energy exists here, and if not that’s cool too.

It's sailed ahead now, but it sounds like there would be enough enthusiasm for a coordinated Young Pope watch-through even if it didn't win the vote, which has convinced me I need to watch it anyway... so... good job?

I continue to be amazed by the adulation/veneration for The Young Pope here, especially as my own experience with it was quite the opposite extreme. I do recognize that there are many who regard it highly, regardless of how incomprehensible I find that. Don't know if I can bring myself to watch The New Pope even though I am usually a completist about such things even with work I don't like much. Still, I feel like I should do it if only in case some late arriving revelation allows for some sort of thorough-going recontextualization and reevaluation. I would try to go into it with as much of an open mind as possible but really there's only so open any of us can ever be (and for me, in this case, it has a lot to do with a general disinclination toward Sorrentino, to put it kindly). I will be very interested in Sausage's responses to the series, however; perhaps he can identify the greatness in it that has so far otherwise entirely eluded me. Really though, I think it would require some monumental accomplishment in exegesis to get me to sit through it again.

John Cope wrote:Really though, I think it would require some monumental accomplishment in exegesis to get me to sit through it again.

So you're saying we need to get Sloper in on this...

But in all seriousness, this kind of project works against my strengths. I'm not great at capsule reviews or reactions, especially if they're time sensitive. I'm better if I can stew on something for a few weeks or more, or read responses and pick and choose what to respond to. But I'm still game; I'll give it that college try or whatever. I just hope others feel similar and we can do this. I'm actually excited.

The Young Pope project it is!

This was as hotly contested a vote as we've ever had, I think, going back and forth all weekend. It didn't win, but we should really go to Vox Lux's thread and show it some love.

The Young Pope was rather long. As a healthy contrast, domino has chosen ten short films from the collection for you to vote on.

Each member can vote for two short films. The top two will be selected for discussion.

I already wrote on it in the 50s project but Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick is delightful for fans of the early playful nouvelle vague period, and is up on YouTube with hardcoded subs. I'm most interested in a discussion on the complex pathos of Hotel Chevalier as separated from its feature film, but there are a lot of good choices here!

I don’t necessarily love all of these, but I wanted to pick a wide swath of different kinds of shorts that might bring about interesting discussion. Since it’s out in front, I’m especially interested in how we discuss a Brakhage short running only a couple minutes

If I had more faith in that discussion taking place I would have definitely voted for it, but I hope it wins and that happens

One of the difficulties of something abstract to the point of being non-representational like the Brakhage is how difficult it is to talk about, to even find a language in which to talk about it. I remember feeling that most acutely when reading Fred Camper’s liner notes for the DVD release. They were both admirable and superfluous, like trying to turn a catalogue of your sensations during your last meal into an interpretive essay.

I have the entire film saved in a series of 1,795 separate image files, which I am prepared to share if Black Ice wins

swo17 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:19 pm

I have the entire film saved in a series of 1,795 separate image files, which I am prepared to share if Black Ice wins

Does each image come with a swo commentary? If so, I'll change my vote

I am certain there are a lot of sites online that similarly offer frame by frame screencaps for at least some of Hotel Chevalier

therewillbeblus wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:19 pm

swo17 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:19 pm

I have the entire film saved in a series of 1,795 separate image files, which I am prepared to share if Black Ice wins

Does each image come with a swo commentary? If so, I'll change my vote

Yes, with such trenchant insights as "vlcsnap-377353.png" and "vlcsnap-377360.png"

domino harvey wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:20 pm

I am certain there are a lot of sites online that similarly offer frame by frame screencaps for at least some of Hotel Chevalier

I refuse to look at any clothing that hypocrite wears

I suggest going through the Brak frame-by-frame and interpreting each one using art-historical frippery.