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Why is This Forum The Best

Started by SELfor50, 15 November 2007, 05:49 AM

OzBenzHead

I have a theory that runs something like this:

Back then when entertainment technology was somewhat less sophisticated, the scriptwriting, acting, delivery, etc. had to be good because there were minimal technical effects available.   (Jeez, tv didn't even have colour for much of it, and wireless was scratchy, mono AM.)

Now with a vast array of readily applied digital effects, the most ordinary, plain, even just bloody awful material can be given a gloss of sophisticated effects, lighting, colour, amplification and superficially appear to be good entertainment.

There is a parallel to earlier ages, too, before the microphone and amplifier: a singer, actor, or speaker had to know the science of voice projection to make her/himself heard throughout the (often acoustically wanting) hall / theatre.   Now anyone can grab a cordless microphone and make her/himself heard right across the town; this volume (or quantity) does not equate to quality - it's merely loud - like much of today's so-called entertainment.

Another parallel:
Any fool can drive a modern car in a straight(ish) line on good roads - with the help of a whole dictionary of technological acronyms.   Put that same person in a 50-year-old vehicle with no power-assisted anything, no acronymical aids, on a winding unpaved road and see how far s/he gets before losing it.   "Intelligent" cars do not make for good drivers.

And high-tech "entertainment" does not guarantee quality amusement.
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]

WGB

I think the real problem with entertainment is lack of creativity.

Not many well crafted stories around too much special effects.

The problem with drivers is distractions - phones/music/drugs/easydriving experience - associated with needing to get somewhere yesterday with no thought for anybody else on the road.

Bill

Martin 280s

There's some serious thread hijacking going on here :o :o :o Don't tell Admin!

Anyway, Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Open All Hours etc are/were as OBH put it , well crafted. Simple sets, and lots of talent.

On modern cars.... I had a super-duper modern car with electric this, computerised that etc. and it was very safe, very, very fast and boring! I've mostly driven cars and motorbikes from the 70's, they have personality and I'm sure the older ones even more.

SELfor50

If you want really well written TV that will make you laugh.  I mean REALLY well written TV where everything is considered and winds into the plot so well.  Jokes / parts you've forgotten bout, come back like when a comedian floats back over a joke later in his set basing it on a different topic.  It goes throughout the whole series.
Anyway enough ramble:  Curb Your Enthusiasm [that's the name of the show]

Written by Larry David (writer of Seinfeld) and star's Larry David as himself.
You'll find 'backup' copies of searching for:
Curb Your Enthusiasm S06E01, torrent.
This is the first ep of the most recent season.  Only just finished in the states last week. (10 episodes)
I will PERSONALLY Guarantee that after you have watched this first episode of season 6 you will find the rest. ;)

The key thing is though - there's no laugh track, and most of the scenes are written - but not solidly scripted so there's some very good improv moments.

Oh, and yeah - modern car's do make bad drivers!!  :D

Cam.    :)

koan


I think you are spot on OzBenzHead, no amount of digital effect cleverness can replace decent writing and performance.  I've got some old shows going back decades, Peter Cook and Dudley More (before he was a "star"). Another of my favourites is Hancock's Half Hour, a live to air 30 min comedy, must be at least 40 years old, not an effect in sight just brilliant writing.

Is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" the show about the dysfunctional family, one in "jail", one gay, scheming mother etc.?

If it is, it's not bad but not a patch on the "Royale Family".

Would the mention of  "Michael Bentine's It's a Square World" trigger anyone's memory?

koan.
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

Martin 280s

Koan, What about "Michael Bentine's Potty Time"?

koan

Quote from: Martin 280s on 22 November 2007, 10:07 AM

Koan, What about "Michael Bentine's Potty Time"?


I've heard of the name buy can't actually remember seeing it but "It's a Square World" I do. It must be at least 40 years ago, I can remember battling with my mother to be allowed to watch the show, it was a bit much for her, didn't "get" it.

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

SELfor50

Quote from: koan on 22 November 2007, 06:01 AM


Is "Curb Your Enthusiasm" the show about the dysfunctional family, one in "jail", one gay, scheming mother etc.?

If it is, it's not bad but not a patch on the "Royale Family".



Nup, sorry Ken.  Nothing like that.  Hard to explain really - but if you do watch Season 6 Ep 1, you won't look back from there!
Promise.


koan

Quote from: SELfor50 on 22 November 2007, 05:19 PM

Nup, sorry Ken.  Nothing like that.  Hard to explain really - but if you do watch Season 6 Ep 1, you won't look back from there!
Promise.


Not sure, US comedies are generally not well viewed by me, probably too much Dick van Dyke as a kid.

If I happen across it, I thinks it runs on Foxtel often enough I'll have a look.

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

SELfor50

Fair call, understand completely!


OzBenzHead

Quote from: koan on 22 November 2007, 06:05 PM[...] US comedies are generally not well viewed by me, probably too much Dick van Dyke as a kid. koan

I believe there are a couple of fundamental differences between Australian humour (which is traditionally based on British humour) and American humo(u)r.   I rarely find American humo(u)r funny at all.

In Anglo-Australian humour, the joke is usually on the teller - the Brits have a culture and tradition of laughing at themselves.   A-A humour is also somewhat lavatorial in nature.

In American humour, the joke is nearly always on the listener; Americans generally take themselves and everything to do with their nation a tad too seriously to be capable of laughing at it and themselves very often.   And as for lavatorial humour - America has a severe hygiene hang-up, so toilet humour just doesn't work for them - they don't get it.

Amongst those few American tv shows that I do find funny - albeit rather repetitive after a while (on the odd occasion I see it - I live without tv) is The Simpsons; it manages to send up all the sacred cows of American culture.   (At the same time, it usually manages to "redeem" itself at show's end with a cutesy and tired moral that reinforces "American values".)   The Simpsons joke is still commonly on the listener in many instances, but at least the sacred cows are attacked.   Conversely, South Park attempts lavatorial humour with an astounding lack of success - it's just gratuitously foul-mouthed, plain and simple (and I'm no prude).

Hmmm ... we seem to wandering far and wide with this thread, eh.
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]

koan


Again I have to agree with you OzBenzHead on GB/AUS vs USA humour. I caused obvious disgust to someone on a visit to the US by daring to ask where the toilet was, followed by a lecture on "bathroom" being the accepted term

I was a fan of The Simpsons for a while but as with all long running shows the scripts deteriorated, and I got a bit sick of the apple pie moral endings. I always enjoyed the worked in movie spoofs though.

South Park is lav humour and it works for me, maybe because I'm from Yorkshire. Often there is the moral message in there like The Simpsons but with a lot less subtlety.   They also tackle subjects that other shows wouldn't go near, one of my favourites is  the John Edwards savaging episode, I think the title is "John Edwards is a Douche Bag".

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

Martin 280s

Quote from: koan on 22 November 2007, 09:01 PM

Again I have to agree with you OzBenzHead on GB/AUS vs USA humour. I caused obvious disgust to someone on a visit to the US by daring to ask where the toilet was, followed by a lecture on "bathroom" being the accepted term

I was a fan of The Simpsons for a while but as with all long running shows the scripts deteriorated, and I got a bit sick of the apple pie moral endings. I always enjoyed the worked in movie spoofs though.

South Park is lav humour and it works for me, maybe because I'm from Yorkshire. Often there is the moral message in there like The Simpsons but with a lot less subtlety.   They also tackle subjects that other shows wouldn't go near, one of my favourites is  the John Edwards savaging episode, I think the title is "John Edwards is a Douche Bag".

koan


Whereabouts in Yorkshire are you from? My mum lives in Doncaster.

koan

Quote from: Martin 280s on 23 November 2007, 06:48 AM

Whereabouts in Yorkshire are you from? My mum lives in Doncaster.


Not far away, between Doncaster and Sheffield, about 40 miles one way to Doncaster and about 10 the other way to  Sheffield, that's what I remember but could be wrong.

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

Martin 280s

Quote from: koan on 23 November 2007, 08:51 AM
Quote from: Martin 280s on 23 November 2007, 06:48 AM

Whereabouts in Yorkshire are you from? My mum lives in Doncaster.


Not far away, between Doncaster and Sheffield, about 40 miles one way to Doncaster and about 10 the other way to  Sheffield, that's what I remember but could be wrong.

koan


And the place name is...?