I remember watching Network as a teenager and expecting a formulaic drama set in a news studio. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Another movie of that era which has a lot to say about the world we are now in is Being There.
Does anyone know if it's on streaming anywhere? My husband has seen the movie and now he's like, "What? You haven't seen Network!?" So I am going to watch it SOMEHOW lol.
No. The audience is not the problem; their gullibility is a problem, but the source of the problem is the press itself. I'm tired of hearing journalists (including an old friend of mine) excuse themselves by denying their responsibility for what they present.
If you feed people junk food, they'll crave it. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't enjoy a decent meal instead.
I recommend reading James Fallows' "Breaking the News".
Network by Chayefsky and Brazil by Gilliam, Stoppard, and McKeown are movies that provide enduring insight into our tragic absurdity. They were both so prescient.
The only one I missed, I bookmarked to get to when I can watch 'All the President's Men'. I will watch the Club after I see the movie.
One thing I can suggest is that free streaming options are very helpful. The aforementioned movie, I could only get as a DVD from the library. (And then I had a hardware/software problem when trying to play the DVD on my computer.)
Another suggestion: announce in conspicuous places. Morning Shots, Triad, and a mention on various podcasts, with enough time to get to watch the movie if you haven't.
Agree on posting movie club more conspicuously. I watched everything but the last one because I don't do horror. Even talked my husband into watching and we enjoyed them all! I'd swear you did a movie club on Network, am I hallucinating??
I would also recommend Newsroom specifically the segments when they are covering the Republican primary and very specifically the segment on hosting one of the debates.
What fascinates me about Network is that it's no longer the satire it was when it premiered. It's just reality now (and so I don't think younger generations get how outrageous it was 50 years ago in the days of Walter Cronkite).
I remember watching Network as a teenager and expecting a formulaic drama set in a news studio. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Another movie of that era which has a lot to say about the world we are now in is Being There.
Does anyone know if it's on streaming anywhere? My husband has seen the movie and now he's like, "What? You haven't seen Network!?" So I am going to watch it SOMEHOW lol.
No. The audience is not the problem; their gullibility is a problem, but the source of the problem is the press itself. I'm tired of hearing journalists (including an old friend of mine) excuse themselves by denying their responsibility for what they present.
If you feed people junk food, they'll crave it. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't enjoy a decent meal instead.
I recommend reading James Fallows' "Breaking the News".
“Network” is in my all-time top 3. Never gets dated.
Unfortunately.
so good
Loved this discussion of a great film. It had a huge effect on me when it came out while I was in college. A brilliant and at the time audacious film.
Maybe it’s time for me to revisit it!
Thanks Sonny
Network by Chayefsky and Brazil by Gilliam, Stoppard, and McKeown are movies that provide enduring insight into our tragic absurdity. They were both so prescient.
Network also on the list of perfect movies
A partial list includes the following:
Network
Predator
Die Hard
Ghostbusters
Moneyball
Clueless
The Bulwark Movie Club failed? What?!? How/why?
Failed is a strong term but we’re definitely tweaking it to get the formula right.
The only one I missed, I bookmarked to get to when I can watch 'All the President's Men'. I will watch the Club after I see the movie.
One thing I can suggest is that free streaming options are very helpful. The aforementioned movie, I could only get as a DVD from the library. (And then I had a hardware/software problem when trying to play the DVD on my computer.)
Another suggestion: announce in conspicuous places. Morning Shots, Triad, and a mention on various podcasts, with enough time to get to watch the movie if you haven't.
Thanks, we appreciate you.
Agree on posting movie club more conspicuously. I watched everything but the last one because I don't do horror. Even talked my husband into watching and we enjoyed them all! I'd swear you did a movie club on Network, am I hallucinating??
We were going to and then we swapped it out for ROUNDERS. That’s a fun one, many secrets about Sarah revealed.
But I'd swear I watched one on Network. Rounders I also loved, particularly since I knew zero about poker and gambling and found it fascinating.
1975 Rollerball feels pretty relevant now as well.
Pray we don't get to "Soylent Green"
Good discussion about Network. I will watch this again.
At one point, you reference the paranoia of the 70s which makes me think of that as an blowback -- paranoia of the 60s. Two films --obscure movies, that are so interesting especially this first one "Wild in The Streets" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_in_the_Streets -- and "Lady in a Cage" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_in_a_Cage are so interesting.
I would also recommend Newsroom specifically the segments when they are covering the Republican primary and very specifically the segment on hosting one of the debates.
G L Seligmann
It’s a warning from another timeline. Amazing and scary.
What fascinates me about Network is that it's no longer the satire it was when it premiered. It's just reality now (and so I don't think younger generations get how outrageous it was 50 years ago in the days of Walter Cronkite).