Sinking To A New Low
Last night I happened to do something I do not do much of any more. I turned on a TV.
And took a look at a few minutes of the NBA Championship game. No, I am not a basketball fan. But it is a topic of conversations. And I wanted to get up to speed.
Of course, most of what I witnessed was not sport, but commercials (more than half the “airtime minutes” would be my estimate). That fact may have depressed me enough that I was not properly mentally armored when one particular commercial came on — a “trailer” for a Coming Soon To A Theater Near You movie.
It was the CGI that caught my attention, and I “tuned in” to this commercial (a Civil War battle scene..).
Big mistake.
The name of this film is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
“President Lincoln’s mother was killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.” ~ 20th Century Fox
I’m sorry. But I cannot find any humor in this. I am offended.
Insulted.
The Great Emancipator portrayed as an axe-wielding super-hero type.. able to fly, or jump 80′ .. or have X-ray vision, or such other tripe nonsense.
Hollywood is never, ever, getting another penny from me.
Ever.
Am I the only person bothered by this? Maybe. But I am beginning to think maybe clotildajamcracker was right when she wrote “.. So stop slacking and let’s end this world once and for all..” the other day… (though she was using humor.)
Needless to say, I turned off the TV mucho muy mas pront-o. Don’t plan to turn it on again anytime soon.
Swill.
Nothing but slop for the masses. Lowest Common Denominator.
Hollywood: We Excel At Reaching New Lows – Everyday!
I apologize to you Dear Reader. There is some techie stuff happening, and I really should have talked about that..
(Such as: Hacker claims mass bank breach; releases Visa, Mastercard data
“More than 79 banks have been breached, claimed a hacker on Twitter. Following a data release on Tuesday, he said he has more than 50 gigabytes of U.S. and foreign bank data in his hands.” Read more..)
But I am kind of curious.. am I alone in this feeling? I am the only one turning off the TV? Not going to theaters?
Oh, well. Doesn’t really matter I guess.. How I feel is how I feel. And I felt an urge to get that off my chest. I’d ask for a boycott of this movie.. but I am not so vain as to think anyone would hear, or heed.
I read it had a $70 million budget… and it’s in “3D”. I expect it’ll be a blockbuster.. Maybe THE summer blockbuster.
How sad.
(In RL, and Actual Fact, Abraham Lincoln happens to be one of those Historical Figures well-worth learning more about.)
Today’s Geekspeak: “CGI” = “computer generated imagery”, largely used for “special effects” in video production. (Back in the Dark Ages, they had to make movies without any help from CGI. So they compensated with things like acting, storyline/plot, costumes/wardrobe, and skillful photography.)
Today’s quote: “He who gives when he is asked has waited too long.” ~ Sunshine Magazine
Your reward for reading this far down: Summer slots!
Want a spin? Click here!
Great software deals and giveaway you probably want to check out… (click on the image). Limited time offer. First come, first served!
~ ~ ~
.. 79 banks ..
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• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
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Tech - for Everyone 
Paul, not only because I’m a fan of your blog do I agree with you on all aspects of this subject…I am full of cranks and grumps over much of the so called entertainment of today, especially that movie… the TV I rarely turn on.
Another annoyance…now Face Book has further expanded with a game on Abraham Lincoln/Movie.
Fox-Owned Making Fun Incorporates ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ into Facebook Game
Games, Games and more Games…” sorta fun…entertainment…make belief”…with a play on Reality…(Face Book) I think that can be Counter Productive on many levels for “some” people.
…and look at the millions of Face Book fans.
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Gaia,
Thank you for that referral. I quote:
Fun.
I am sorry, but why use such a revered (to some people, anyway) real-life person (and slander them?) when a fictional figure would have worked just as well? Because you have no decorum? No sense? No boundaries? No propriety? No couth, nor class?
Maybe.. my sense of humor has just worn too thin. But the language and subject matter (and dress code) on TV and the movies no longer is suitable to me. (“Decapitation is key“???)
I.
Am.
Done.
I wash my hands.
Bah! Humbug!
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My only television-watching in the last 4-5 years has been of my favorite teams when they make the playoffs, and some documentaries on History Channel, Discovery, etc. Not that my substitute, the Internet, is a whole lot better.
As a student of and writer on the American Civil War period, I, too, find this Great Emancipator-qua-vampire nonsense extroardinarily exploitive, cheap and reprehensible. And now that you have reminded me, I think I’m going to make a stink about it.
Thank you, Tech Paul.
~PMB
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Paul M. Bauer,
I like the sound of that.
(And, I guess I should make clear, “educational programming” – such as can be found on the History and Discovery [and PBS] channels is quite different [and exempt] from the dribble fed us as “entertainment”.)
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I spend a lot (and I do mean an inordinately excessive amount) of time stuck in bed with little entertainment. At one point I thought I could not live without cable TV service. But I am. The cable TV company lost some serious income there.
Next I was sure I had to have broadcast television. My “old” analog bedroom TV needed a digital to analog converter to receive the new digital broadcast signal. And it required a new amplified antenna. It’s filled with commercials galore, which causes something in my brain to say “I can’t take it anymore! Make it stop!!”
Now I’ve reduced my “boob tube” time to Netflix only. If they decide to put advertising on their service, stick a fork in me… I’m done.
I’m happy that there is a digital television in another room on which I can watch football games and the like, but I couldn’t agree with you more. The stuff they’re peddling is beyond insane. If I need something I research prices, ask professional colleagues opinions, then I buy it. I do not and will not ever buy any advertised product. Not from television, the internet, or any other source of “Advertise it and they will come” media.
BTW… Thanks TP for your recent personal advise on what internet security suite I should buy this year. Your opinion was sound and helpful. I would dare to say that my machines would all be infected with some kind of malware if not for your suggestions on what applications should be installed on every machine.
Keep up the good work my friend.
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kstinman,
Research? Ask around? Try before you buy? No!
That requires effort and thought! Watching a emotionally compelling ad is SO MUCH easier.
I appreciate your words of support.
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“I am sorry, but why use such a revered (to some people, anyway) real-life person (and slander them?) when a fictional figure would have worked just as well? “
Paul, They can’t even do fictional characters justice. Look what they did to “Dark Shadows” just recently. According to Hollywood today new movies are a sequel, remake or about glittery vampires,werewolves or zombies….OMG…It almost sounds like most of the video games too.
How low can they go? Not sure I want to know.
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Harry Potter.
Batman.
X-Men
Huge financial successes. (And children’s/comic books.)
The last movie I enjoyed in a theater was Saving Private Ryan. I probably would have liked Warhorse.. but I am serious about boycotting Hollywood. I really have turned off my TV, too (though I record Big Bang Theory). For those interested, some time ago I had a bit of fun and posted my personal Top 30 Movies Of All Time list — see, What is a Szirbi?! (And my Top Movies list).
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Oh my! I guess we should not ask questions that we don’t really want answers for…
This is really, really low…
First, we have….”Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, based on the surprisingly straight-faced Seth Grahame-Smith novel of the same name. (He’s the guy who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is also headed to the big screen.) Jane Austen and President Lincoln should both be spinning in their graves.
Then, I don’t think there is a barrel this low to scrape… This could either make you scratch your brain/eyes out or shoot your TV or all of the above.
There’s also the upcoming, low-budget FDR: American Badass!, which has Franklin D. Roosevelt (Barry Bostwick) slaughtering werewolves with a machinegun-equipped wheelchair after contracting polio from a Nazi man-wolf bite. “
More historical mash-up movies we’d like to see | Movies | Entertainment | Niagara Falls Review
BTW I enjoyed your list of movies. :)
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delenn13,
Some days, I can’t help but think, Armageddon cannot get here quickly enough. (And I am not a grouch.. honest!)
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The Followers Of Armageddon are from many Genre’s!
It’s enough to deal with the other dimensions of: what is thought to be the “dark side of the world”…but Armageddon…???…let’s not go there!
Enough believers of Armageddon can turn it into a Self-Fulfilling- Prophecy!
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Gaia,
I thought I read somewhere that this was the year…
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My thoughts on this:
We read Everything…Everywhere!
On the subject of Armageddon… much infomation and things in our society/world is “often” determined by one’s Personal Beliefs…Vulnerabilities… need for Showmanship and for various other reasons.
This promotes information, situations to take on “a life of its own” resulting in many Believers!
Armageddon has been talked up/promised many times…even Eons ago!
However, the world is in a “dark state” which is a concern for many of us… leaving us to wonder, “what is next” ?…but we cannot “run” with all that we hear or all that we read.
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Gaia,
I am afraid my choice of the word has led this thread to stray off the original topic.
My real point is: when is this decline (“sinking”) going to stop? What will it take? Is my boycott enough? When are the people going to vote with their pocketbooks and say “enough with this pre-adolescent swill!” (or to quote a Hollywood writer from a few years ago, “I’m mad as *heck*, and I’m not going to take it anymore!“) Or is it just going to further sink right up until the world ends?
How low do we reward them to go? (If this movie rakes in big bank? We’ll just get more of the same. Only more so. [we reap what we sow, and we’ve no one to blame but ourselves].)
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kkk. I thought we were talking about Armageddon…I was giving my views of that. I totally agree with your views/thoughts on Sinking.
Thread closed on this end.
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[…] End the viscous circle — Boycott movies like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (See, Sinking To A New Low) […]
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