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Started by SmallBlueThing, 04 February, 2011, 12:40:44 PM

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The Legendary Shark

Atlas Shrugged Trilogy. I had no idea this even existed. I found it very interesting because of my love for the book but I reckon most people will hate it. Still, it's a decent enough adaptation and a passable critique of government imposed collectivism. Like Ayn Rand's novel it doesn't get everything right by any means but has a solid core and raises some important questions. I reckon I'll be watching this trilogy again, more than once, just as I'll be reading the book again as soon as I can get my grubbies on another copy.
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Professor Bear

Ironically, Rand did actually make a fantastic contribution to the socialist cause through example when she died penniless but supported by state handouts, though I always kind of admired that she legit put out a book whose premise was a 13 year-old doesn't want to do chores so they run away to teach their parents a lesson - except the 13 year old is a billionaire, his chores are taxes, and his parents are his workers.


TordelBack

#12242
After all these years, and several heartfelt explanations, I can still never get my head around the idea that a bloke so transparently decent, compassionate and questioning as the Legendary Shark can feel anything but deep unending nausea while reading Rand.  Her whole philosophy seems so contrary to basic humanity that I can't understand why anyone who has escaped the extreme solipsism of adolescence can stand it, let alone someone who puts so much thought into everything.  "I'm alright Jack, but you teat-suckling unter-drones are holding me back anyway".  It's not exactly the rallying cry for a better tomorrow i'd have hoped for.

Just do me a favour and stay well away from Jordan Peterson, Shark! 

The Legendary Shark

Rand isn't right about everything, for sure, but her opposition to state-enforced altruism is spot on. In order to be altruistic, one must have the ability to earn. To give money or time to a charitable or social cause voluntarily is laudable but to be forced to do so is a different kettle of fish altogether.

As with any philosophy, one must take the good parts and discard the rest. I don't, for example, embrace her ideas surrounding intellectual property rights as she expressed with Rearden Metal or the vacuum engine in that the inventor has sole rights to produce them. If the inventor of the flint blade or the discoverer of fire had thought the same way, the human race could have been retarded by centuries. Once an idea is out in the world it belongs to the world, in my view, and anyone who can replicate it and produce it in an acceptable fashion should be free to do so. Where I agree with her is that a beneficial invention cannot be appropriated and suppressed by government for some woolly "greater good" reasons.

In Atlas Shrugged, the government wants to do just this with Reardon Metal, a superior alloy, purely in order to protect existing, traditional metal corporations from "unfair" competition. Such a move retards invention and innovation, hobbles economies, reinforces the current status quo and stagnates the advancement of society.

The selfishness angle of her ideas, which I think has beenv somewhat misunderstood, is simply an expression of property rights. If I buy something or invent something then it's mine and nobody has the right to arbitrarily appropriate those things, no matter who they are. In the case of lawfully acquired property I think most of us feel the same way. In the case of inventions it's slightly different, I can invent something and keep it secret but if I release the formula or product into the wild, whether I'm making money out of it or not, anyone is free to reverse-engineer, copy or improve it as best they can and thereby enter into free-market competition with me. This doesn't mean they can break into my safe or factory and steal the fruits of my work for their own profit or create legislation to deprive me of those fruits. Putting in the work to copy, reverse-engineer or improve my fruits is fine by me as it encourages innovation and advancement but stealing them and/or keeping them secret to protect existing industries is wrong.

As I said, she didn't get everything right but there is much in her writing that is well worth exploration.

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von Boom

Deadpool 2. Not far behind the original in terms of humour and action. Generally a fun film all round. It's been a while since I left the cinema smiling, but I did with this one.

The Legendary Shark

Yeah, I enjoyed Deadpool 2 almost as much as the first one - the only annoyance was waiting all the way to the end of the credits for nothing, but that's a small gripe. Other than that I loved every minute of it.

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von Boom

I did the same thing. It's rather irritating that we've been conditioned by Marvel/Disney to sit through the credits for something that may or may not happen.  :rolleyes:

The Legendary Shark


Well, at least we got our money's worth out of the seats...

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Apestrife

Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 27 May, 2018, 08:39:57 PM
Atlas Shrugged Trilogy. I had no idea this even existed. I found it very interesting because of my love for the book but I reckon most people will hate it. Still, it's a decent enough adaptation and a passable critique of government imposed collectivism. Like Ayn Rand's novel it doesn't get everything right by any means but has a solid core and raises some important questions. I reckon I'll be watching this trilogy again, more than once, just as I'll be reading the book again as soon as I can get my grubbies on another copy.


If I come across them, I'll watch them out of morbid curiousity. Not a fan of the book, but I'm fascinated by it. The impact it's said to have had on people. I'm also quite fascinated by Ayn. But I'll leave it at that.

I saw Frankheimer's Seconds from 1966 today. Chilling to say the least. About a man who gets the chance to begin anew. Love the feverish camera work. The film evoked the feeling when you'v done a mistake which you'll regret and feeling of having f*cked it up sets in and the desperation that follows it... Scary stuff. Definitely gonna watch it again soon.

abelardsnazz

After Hours. Martin Scorsese doesn't often do comedy, but here is a brilliant dark farce, with Griffin Dunne well cast as a cocky young man getting increasingly more desperate over the course of one night as events seem to conspire against him. An often overlooked film of Scorsese's career which I enjoyed seeing again.



Keef Monkey

Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 28 May, 2018, 07:45:37 PM
Yeah, I enjoyed Deadpool 2 almost as much as the first one - the only annoyance was waiting all the way to the end of the credits for nothing, but that's a small gripe. Other than that I loved every minute of it.

Well, if you stay to the end of the credits you do get [spoiler]the acapella version of the big Holy Shitballs action theme[/spoiler], which gave us a good laugh. Thought it was a fun note to go out on.

The Legendary Shark

Yes! I need that as a ringtone.
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Tiplodocus

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Pleasantly surprised by this £1.99 rental. I don't think I would go as far as unreservedly recommending it and there is something slightly off about the pacing and lack of a villain of note but the Rock as a nerd is super cute.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

abelardsnazz

Berberian Sound Studio. Intriguing tribute to Italian Giallo films of the 70s, it's a bit obscure to reach a mainstream audience, but it has Toby Jones, a fantastic sound design, and a great title sequence for the fictional film within a film. Recommended if you fancy something a bit out there.

Mattofthespurs

Quote from: abelardsnazz on 29 May, 2018, 09:34:03 PM
Berberian Sound Studio. Intriguing tribute to Italian Giallo films of the 70s, it's a bit obscure to reach a mainstream audience, but it has Toby Jones, a fantastic sound design, and a great title sequence for the fictional film within a film. Recommended if you fancy something a bit out there.

I really enjoyed that too. Thumbs up from me also.