Heroes
- Thread starter scoops
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I haven't seen Heroes yet, but I will check it out eventually.
Most anything created by man is a reaction to what has come before. That's just how it goes. It's really simple. Stuff these days is just layered on what came before. When a Lost comes around--something that has idealogically shifted or added fresh layers--other things will arise that work at the same strata, with a few tweaks here and there to distinguish it. There are very few visionaries out there that either actively and consciously disregard what knowledge they have in hopes of achieving something original, or that they don't have the knowledge to begin with and make something extraordinary through exceptional intuition. Most of the innovations seems to come from people who take what we have and shift it in a profound way (Shakespeare in theatre, Orson Welles in cinema, and dare I say Fumito Ueda in video games?)
Most anything created by man is a reaction to what has come before. That's just how it goes. It's really simple. Stuff these days is just layered on what came before. When a Lost comes around--something that has idealogically shifted or added fresh layers--other things will arise that work at the same strata, with a few tweaks here and there to distinguish it. There are very few visionaries out there that either actively and consciously disregard what knowledge they have in hopes of achieving something original, or that they don't have the knowledge to begin with and make something extraordinary through exceptional intuition. Most of the innovations seems to come from people who take what we have and shift it in a profound way (Shakespeare in theatre, Orson Welles in cinema, and dare I say Fumito Ueda in video games?)
But what did they bring that was totally fresh? Everything they did can be brought back to those three basic struggles. If there were a fourth type of struggle, we might not even be able to understand or relate to it.
scoops said:
You'll enjoy this page. It points to those pieces of fiction that seem to have been inspired in some way by Dune:
List of fiction inspired by Dune http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fiction_inspired_by_Dune
Darth: In terms of the three things you brought up, the guys I mentioned probably do not deviate ultimately from those. I would have to give it some thought, but my initial reaction to that is to think that there are actually more forms than just man vs. man, man vs. nature/god, and man vs. himself. Each of those implies conflict, and I know there are things out there that don't involve conflict. Whether or not that's your cup of tea, that's up to you. There are some works (like the films of Andrei Tarkovsky) that subjugate or dissolve most conflict in indecipherable metaphors, so that it becomes a highly subjective experience for anyone watching. And there are some things out there that are more than just what they are about, but how they are about themselves. So it becomes like a metanarrative, commenting on itself. Even if it's all derived from a few root forms, it's still flexible enough as long as people are willing to experiment and others are willing to explore.
As for the three artists I mentioned, I wasn't saying that they contributed something totally fresh. Those three guys are the most common type of elite artists, who shift what we have profoundly because they understand the form of their craft and know how to bend it in a unique way. That is to say that they go deep down in the stratum of ideas and start changing things all the way up. This is unlike those that start from scratch and build their own foundations, of whom I can think of none at the moment.
As for the three artists I mentioned, I wasn't saying that they contributed something totally fresh. Those three guys are the most common type of elite artists, who shift what we have profoundly because they understand the form of their craft and know how to bend it in a unique way. That is to say that they go deep down in the stratum of ideas and start changing things all the way up. This is unlike those that start from scratch and build their own foundations, of whom I can think of none at the moment.
Also: what do you guys generally think of David Lynch's version of Dune (aka, the 80s version)? I have it right now and will watch it pretty soon. I believe it's the only film of his that he has tried to disown because of too much interferrence by producers or the studio.
Who watched last night?
Frankly, I was a little disappointed. I guess when you have such a huge over-arching narrative, you're bound to get a few episodes where not too much really happens. I noticed the same thing in Lost, every so often, you'd get a string of episodes that weren't quite so good, but they were setting up for a bunch of really great ones!
The hilight for me was watching Nathan fly, and the landing looked amazing (and humourous - he needs himself some super-hero boots). My question is: how did those flimsy pyjama pants stay on when he broke the sound barrier?
Frankly, I was a little disappointed. I guess when you have such a huge over-arching narrative, you're bound to get a few episodes where not too much really happens. I noticed the same thing in Lost, every so often, you'd get a string of episodes that weren't quite so good, but they were setting up for a bunch of really great ones!
The hilight for me was watching Nathan fly, and the landing looked amazing (and humourous - he needs himself some super-hero boots). My question is: how did those flimsy pyjama pants stay on when he broke the sound barrier?