 Welcome to the Adam Does Movies podcast. I'm Adam, of course, and on today's episode I'm gonna be talking about movie sensitivity How people watch films how they react to film criticism and why we have a problem on our hands in some instances I myself, of course, love movies. I talk about them all the time I do the podcast every Monday plus I do live streams on my channel Adam Does Movies Every Tuesday and Friday and then on top of that I go out and see every new movie that comes out on a Thursday night Plus I review the movie and even go back and talk about older films. I live and breathe this stuff This is my church. I worship at the altar of film Maybe not that over the top of course that no one should have an unhealthy obsession with anything And I know I just painted a picture like I do But I can assure you I'm also into video games. I also like sports I also have kids who I do a lot of stuff with and I have a wife So there's plenty of things rounding me out as a well-adjusted individual Some people I can't say the same for in this space or people that just go out and see a movie and feel like They have the need to make things personal I'm watching this video on as I'm recording out of the video version of my shirt just keeps like it doesn't know what it's doing It just wants to push me away from it. It's bizarre. Anyway, let me let me focus So I really wanted to go over this because lately when I've been posting reviews These kind of out-of-theater reviews that are less than 60 seconds for YouTube and TikTok shorts and Instagram Areals or whatever the hell they're called. I will just quickly leave the movie and I will bring up my phone and I'll give you a few thoughts about what you can expect Spoiler-free. I'll say like hey, I really enjoyed this movie because of A, B, and C or hey, this kind of worked Here's some things to look out for that didn't and that's it and I Understand that these types of videos go out to people all over the place Not just the subscribers on my channel and that's the idea. You want to reach more people with these But when you reach more people, you bring in a lot of douchebags You bring in a lot of people that don't know you or your content or maybe they saw the movie themselves And now they feel personally attacked by your opinion Which is bizarre. I've had a couple lately Where I just scratch my head and wonder why what at what end does this serve? So here's an example. I saw Fast and the Furious 10 a month or so back I did the outside the theater review Got if I don't know 40 or 50,000 views on some of the different platforms and the comments on I think it was TikTok probably TikTok and YouTube were just vicious Just going off about how I'm not a fan I never liked Fast and the Furious and all this they just made all these assumptions and The the criticism I gave was so top-level So obvious that it just makes me think really this is what you're worked up about. I said obvious things So what I said when I walked out of the movie was hey Fast and Furious 10. It's just as dumb It's just as family as the other ones if you love these movies up until 10 you're going to like this one I don't see any reason why you wouldn't however, if you're like me and it's lost you along the way This one's not going to pull you back. That's I mean obviously not verbatim, but that's pretty close to what I said I also said there's lots of action lots of explosions, etc Giving people a picture of what they can understand when they go into the film if they're on the fence about seeing it I don't see how that was insulting. I don't see how I mean I I mean I guess it's insulting if you think Fast and the Furious is Shakespeare if you think that it's citizen Kane levels of writing But I have to imagine even the people that truly enjoy these flicks know they're dumb as shit, right? They know that the script is Is like AI generated at this point. There's no deep acting There's no profound reveals in these movies people come back from the dead from like Fast and the Furious 5 They're nonsensical and it's okay if you like nonsense. I like nonsense once in a while too if it works But no, they were just personally attacked by this tame little criticism Laying down facts Adam you don't know what the hell you're tying about people don't listen to this guy. It's an amazing movie He's an idiot. He doesn't he's just a hater. He's a shill. He has an agenda like they just throw things out Without even giving the slightest amount of thought to what they're even saying Yeah, Fast and the Furious it's it's dumb, but you can still enjoy dumb. I mean Larry the cable guy was the thing at one point. So Polly Shore was the thing at one point. We can enjoy dumb things. That's okay Another recent example was the blackening I didn't actually see a trailer for this movie. My wife said Lindsay. She said Adam you should go watch this movie It's getting some good buzz. The trailer is really funny looking. You'll probably enjoy it. And so I said, all right, well Probably predominantly black cast. Let's show some support, right? Let's let's it's a brand new movie Let's give it. Let's give it some bucks. So I go out and see it. It doesn't really work for me at all Some of the jokes landed some of them were complete misses and it was the tone that bothered me It wasn't that I didn't but we'll get to that we'll get back to it So anyway, I leave the theater. I say hey, I saw the blackening and it was okay. Not that not my favorite This is one you could probably just watch it home on Netflix. It looked cheap the dialogue was very Stilted and it didn't feel natural And I was just giving people things to expect when going to the movie this one I was put on blast over and I Guess I wasn't expecting this criticism to come up as much as it did. It wasn't you're a racist That one I was expecting. I think I was only called that once the one thing I was told over and over and over again was you just didn't get the movie or don't listen to this dude He's white. This movie's not for him. He doesn't understand the culture. He doesn't understand this or that It's it's a lot of I don't understand anything mentality Because I didn't think the movie was as great as this person did so therefore I didn't get it I just watched a movie the other night with my wife It was the Cheeto movie red flaming hot Cheetos or whatever the corporate movie about Hispanic worker that's a janitor that comes up with the new flavor that saves the free-to-ol a company or at least brings them back into You know full capacity again saves a bunch of jobs. I enjoyed that movie I didn't think it was anything amazing, but it was solid and it was about a Hispanic family. I Barely know any Hispanic families My neighbor is Hispanic, but I don't I haven't been to any sort of you know events Or I don't know much of their culture or their history yet. I still enjoyed this film So the whole idea that I couldn't enjoy the blackening because I didn't know the lingo or I wasn't up to date on all the Historical references or don't realize or I don't understand how they speak behind closed doors is absolute bullshit a Movie shouldn't be just so segregated to one culture or to one type of person that it alienates everyone else from liking it And I don't think that's at all. What happened here In fact the blackening the black jokes the humor that were at the expense of white people. That was all funny I enjoyed that I didn't get all butter her when they said like oh you're acting white I wasn't crying and clutching my pearls. That was fair game Jim Crow monopoly. That was funny. There was good stuff when they were playing the game What I didn't think worked was how they discussed things with each other the topics that would come up felt unnatural it didn't feel organic to the movie it just sounded preachy and Preachy and preachy like it was to college campus kids having a discussion back and forth in a debate format It didn't feel like friends hanging out and actually having natural conversation Now I was told this is how the black community talks and if that is the case I feel very sad for those individuals that think their entire life needs to evolve Around just arguing who who's the blackest in the group or who's the way it is in the group? I don't believe that's the case But again, I grew up in Minnesota in the suburbs So seeing a black person in that area was like finding a unicorn. It just wasn't something that happened very often That said the dialogue being a little stiff and on the nose was just one of the many critiques I gave in that short little span of 60 seconds I did have a full review too, but I'm speaking to this because this is the one that triggered people I also said the movie looked cheap Whether it's intentional or otherwise To harken back to the old-school black comedies and older films. It doesn't matter. It didn't look good It wasn't a good-looking film and you can make an old-school retro style of flick But still modernize it in a way that's pleasing on the eyes. This one wasn't it didn't have an interesting location It didn't have an interesting reveal the deaths were all tamest crap. So I said exactly that It's a pretty mid-movie all across the board. I wouldn't rush out to see this But yeah, that was enough to piss a lot of people off and say don't listen to this guy It's not for him and then where do we go from there when you have that kind of outlook? I then am supposed to turn around and say well I hope you're not going to 90% of the other movies that are made in Hollywood because they're not for you Because they're predominantly white people that is not a healthy place to be or a true place Movies should be accessible to everyone But they can also have nuance and they can also have deeper meaning for individual groups or individual You know whatever if you watch a movie about a hockey team for instance like the mighty docks or something cheesy like that There is gonna be deeper meaning for someone that plays hockey and understands how the rules of the game work This is a weird example to give but I think you see where I'm getting out with it Or books books is a great one So the Harry Potter movies I love them I didn't read the books ahead of time and I still really like the movies after reading the books the movies even felt better They had more meaning they felt more special to me because I had that deeper connection with the characters and the material Someone that hadn't seen or someone that's watched the movie but has never read the books They're gonna be missing that little bit extra But that doesn't make the movie bad and it doesn't mean the person didn't understand it or appreciate it for what it was a Good movie is able to tell a story without having to have all these little extra pieces of homework for the viewer At least that's that's how I feel about it So yeah, the movie wasn't for you That's a big one. I've been seeing lately or you didn't understand the movie. That's the other one It's rare. I think when most people don't understand a film unless it's a Christopher Nolan head trippy thing or Something like Mulholland Drive. That's more experimental and artsy It's pretty much on the nose 90% of the time So saying you didn't understand it. You didn't understand Thor Love and Thunder That's not gonna hold any weight to it It's a it's a pathetic cop out to an actual criticism Come at me and say hey, you're wrong and here's the reasons why That's not often how the conversation goes though the dialogue is so stupid in comparison that it's We're left with things like this guy's an idiot. He doesn't understand anything and that's where we're at It's an extreme absolute position And there's nothing you can say to it The other one that I've brought up before on my channel. This is my favorite of them Why don't you make the movie then if you're such an expert? Why don't you do it? I? Love this one so much. Yeah, okay Let's let's really unpack what you just said there Why don't you make Ant-Man and the Wasp? Quantimania a film that has a 200 million dollar budget or something ridiculous like that. All right Yeah, let's get that all workshopped out then Why don't you get me those funds and get me the studios and get me the actors and get me everything I need And we'll really we'll really game this out What a dumb fucking thing to use as a criticism. Why don't you make the movie then if you're such an expert? Do should I say that to you? Anytime you have a hard time Appreciating something maybe you go to a restaurant and you order food and it's not very good tasting you say Oh, this is gross should I turn to you because I'm for some reason there along along for the journey and say Why don't you make the meal if you're such an expert? Why don't you do it? No, people don't talk like that because it's asinine This book sucked. Oh, why don't you write the book then if you're such an expert? You see how this doesn't hold any water at all. It's it's such a bad Faith way to fight with someone or argue or have a dispute When you use an extreme position, you're gonna get extreme response for me and it's typically why don't you go fuck yourself? I type that and then I hold back hitting enter every single time. I have to show restraint I have to rise above that petty. I should really just not read any of this. That's the healthiest thing to do Is not read any of the comments But there's that part of me that's just I just hate myself I have to do it But no, I refrain from ever telling people to take a hike or to, you know, jump off a bridge or do anything like that because That that's what they're looking for. They're looking to ruffle feathers they're looking to rile me up or other people up by the Toxic comments that they give and they have to understand or I hope they understand that what they're saying is complete loony tunes It's ludicrous Why don't you go make the movie expert? Yeah, why don't you go make the three course meal the four course meal that you're complaining about? And there is appreciation there is respect and that's the thing that seems to be people seem to be not grasping with film criticism Because I see so many movies and plenty of people in my audience do as well We do have We have a knack for knowing what works and what doesn't now what works for us and others doesn't necessarily line up every time And you can see that from the critic and the review score which I'm gonna be talking about next week on the podcast I'm gonna be going over why people don't trust movie critics like they used to But for the time being on this conversation There's a rubric I use when I when I watch movies and it's not like I'm there to analyze my first jobs Just go to the movie and have a good time and try to see where the film is coming from See if I'm engaged at the end of it if it's working if it's firing or if it's just kind of towing the line or terrible and then I try my best to give a reaction and a review That I think fits the quality of the film not even necessarily my own personal beefs or issues with it But like a well-rounded review so hey, I didn't like this because X but However, I can see someone liking it because of why or Z and I also like this part of it So it kind of cancels out. You know what I'm saying. It's not just that this is the worst movie in the world every time This is the greatest movie in the world every time unless I'm using it as a joke in which case I'll make that clear But there's this personal attachment that the people feel so offended When you say that something sucks and you give actual reasons why you believe that It's just in one ear and out the other to them. It's all they hear is you think what I like sucks So you think I suck you think I have bad taste. How dare you sir? My my real job is I'm a front-end developer and web designer Everybody has opinions on everything We have experts in the field for a reason people that have an eye for things people that have an ear for things People have a hand at design for things and so I do visual design for websites for apps things like that and Every single time I put out a design There's a comment or a critique whether it's in-house or from someone outside a third party or the client that we're working for Might say I don't like that color I don't like how this works and then it's my job to both listen and also push back and say the reasons why I made the decision I made and that's the piece. That's missing on line I don't I don't foresee any of these people saying the stuff they say online to my face like hey You suck this movie was amazing and then they walk away There's probably some that do but for the most part. It's a lot more civil And so when I get a critique about a design, hey, this doesn't work. Why'd you think this would I will tell them? Well, the reason I put this here is because the eye reads from right to left So I wanted to lead them to this area so that they could make a decision about how to proceed next on this website And it's the same way I approach movie reviews Yeah, I didn't like this movie because the way it started the way it ended did not line up well for me The tone of the movie did not match from where it started or the acting felt Disingenuous it didn't feel it didn't feel intact all the way through it felt You know disconnected from the plot and that's the kind of stuff that I look for and for most people that only see a couple movies a year That's going to trigger them Because the black anine or fast the furious 10 or ant-man in the wasp that was one of three movies they saw in theaters and So they had a great time they spent like 30 or 40 bucks to go to this movie with a couple of their kids 50 bucks 60 bucks. It's expensive now So they are not gonna go into this movie feeling like they wasted their money and their time And they're gonna let the person have it online who's giving them these criticisms The other thing that the last thing that I think is so funny is Well when I post one of these shorter reviews and they do show up on a person's phone or on their computer And they're you know They're quickly swiping through them and they stop on mine where I'm reviewing the blackening for instance and I say I didn't care for the movie that much They then put in the comments don't listen to this jackass or this this movie wasn't for this guy. I Didn't ask you to watch this review. I Could just as well say this review wasn't for you and my Criticism would be far more correct Because this person didn't actually want to hear what someone else had to say about the movie They just wanted to hear this movie. It was great. I loved it. It's the funniest comedy of 2023 and I didn't say that so they got mad and they let me have it But why not just piss off? Why not just swipe past and be like, oh, yeah, this guy doesn't agree I don't care to hear from him. This movie wasn't for him. Keep it in your head. I Don't get it. I truly don't But I also don't comment on things Online in a negative manner. I Usually don't comment at all and if I do it's hey, this was great or keep it up or this movie looks promising Or this movie looks bad if it's a bad movie trailer I might once in a while say that usually I don't but I don't directly go to the director and say hey your movie sucks You shouldn't make movies anymore You don't understand how to make movies. That's insane and I know a lot of people do that too That's what Twitter is for right to harass celebrities and actors and directors. It's just freaking weird. We live in a weird world Anyway, that that's the thought that came to me this week Movies are coming out people see them and then they for some reason take everything personally when there's a different opinion about them I'd love to know if you run into this in your real world I know the online world has become almost as real as everything else now So maybe you live online in which case you probably have come across this have you got in debates with people? About said movies and it felt like it turned into a more personal attack than anything else If you're on YouTube these go alive Monday night So please join me there live and we can talk about this in the chat or you can put a comment in the comment Underneath the video. Let me know some of your experiences This goes up earlier on Spotify and Apple music or Apple podcast, whatever it's called at 9 a.m So you get a little earlier on on the Audio side of things, but then you get to see my beautiful face with this dressy park shirt That's ill-fitting now does it doesn't work at all probably gonna have to lose it and get a new one Anyway, yeah, that's the that's the concept. That's the idea. Let me know your thoughts. Please share the podcast around It's still in its infancy. We're only nine or ten episodes deep. So we got a long way to go hopefully you're enjoying it and I will I will catch you next time. Take care You