DeePatterson

Guys, looking at this from another angle (and still maintaining that Devin is sets the tone for what this podcast became), take a look at the Wiki for the Canon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Canon_episodes So. Many. Movies. Voted. In. Maybe this is a project that needs some rotation, if only so we don't have so many automatic locks for entry. More liminal movies, fewer "classics"!

I think we were all waiting for GamerGate to come crawling out of the shadows....

You can't really replace Devin. While it's both of their show, Devin really shapes the voice of the show (for good or ill)-- replacing him with, basically, anybody but him is going to leave us with Film Spotting. He doesn't remember whether this event occurred but still owned up to it. I respect that. No defensiveness or attacking someone's character. I think this doesn't change who the Critic is, much like knowing more about the artist doesn't change the art (for good or ill). I'll be really sorry to see this podcast disappear.

I haven't watched this film yet but I listened to the ep (I enjoy doing it first, so I know what to look for); I have to reply, though, because of how meta this episode has gotten. The fervor that both Devin and Amy had in discussing Nate Parker and The Birth of a Nation, with the assault accusations treated as if they were not ended in acquittals and that Nate is guilty (something that made me uncomfortable as someone who DOES NOT defend Parker-- his behavior and defensiveness were rude enough), the talks about Public Shaming and what can change overnight, all now on the heels of Devin himself dealing with Public Shaming over assault accusations.... It's wild, ironic and definitely deserves a point of discussion. Google it. I think the man himself would separate the critic/artist from the work, but would go way overboard and talking about how scummy the action was.

I'm glad Dave was here for this episode because it was Devin and Amy at their most bullheaded otherwise-- both latch onto certain concepts or nitpicks like bulldogs and just gnaw away. I was a soft yes on Khan until the deconstructionist argument and once it was said, it became obvious in its cultural impact. That said, I'd like to ask the public at large what you guys would think about a Harry Potter film in the canon? Devin is too old to sop over this particular fandom, the series is clearly influential on the culture, the modern blockbuster and "cinematic universes" in an important way but it's also clear that the importance of the series is more from fans of the books than the quality of the film. I think it would end up being a Wrath of Khan argument, but with Devin and Amy switching sides.

I feel odd saying this but man, I'd love to see this film remade by Bobcat Goldthwait.

I just want to say I find the argument that, due to a revolutionary ad campaign that future generations will never actually see, we're supposed to treat a film with no real cinematographic artistry, no script and improv based acting driven by starvation and emulated army training like it deserves canonization? As Amy always comes back to: What IS the Canon, if that's the criteria? This isn't a great film, it's a great psychological experiment and one that had its moment-- a moment that passed 15 years ago (hence why the sequel didn't recapture it). Hard no.