Humanity’s Lens: “Being There” - Prologue

[IanEye]

Humanity’s Lens: “Being There”

I have an idea for an RI film club called “Humanity’s Lens”. The idea would be to pick a movie that would appeal to the RI aesthetic while at the same time be fairly easy to obtain and watch through Netflix, etc. Then, give the RI community a week to watch the film, and then we could post our thoughts about the film.

I would like to nominate “Being There” as the first film for Humanity’s Lens.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Biltmore_Estate.jpg


I am open to suggestions as to what the “rules” of the film club would be. One rule could be that you can talk about whatever aspect of the film you want as long as you have actually taken the time to watch the whole film from start to finish. In other words, if all you want to focus on is the promotional poster art for the film, you can, as long as you have watched the film in the past week. Obviously we would have to go on the “honor system” for this rule. I am not calling in any of my valuable chits with my contacts in the intelligence community just to determine whether one of us has in fact watched a film recently.



So, using “Being There” as an example, one could focus on the plot which involves the upper crust of Society being smitten with a sort of idiot savant. Or, one could look at the making of the film and the adaptation of Kosinski’s novel, Seller’s eagerness to be in the film, Kosinski’s subsequent “suicide”, etc.



Also, if people like the idea of Humanity’s Lens as a film club but would rather start off with a different film, I am totally cool with that.



"Life is a state of mind."

[ninakat]

IanEye, I think that's an interesting suggestion, and I'd be willing to participate, time permitting of course.

Being There is one of my favorite films, so it's a great start. Let's see how many others are interested in your proposal.

[ninakat]

Hugh Manatee's Lens? hehehe

[Jeff]

Exciting idea, Ian. And Being There's a good subject to start with, though unfortunately it's been a while since I've watched it start to finish.

[brainpanhandler]

Definitely on board with that excellent idea.

From a post on dec 25th, video links only thread.



[/quote]

[AlicetheKurious]

I won't be able to participate, unfortunately. I've seen the movie at least 3 times, but the last time was years ago, before RI changed the way I watch movies.

Just looking at the frames you posted, IanEye, I'm blown away. Obviously I had no idea what I was seeing, and so much of it was going right over my head.

Your idea is a wonderful one, and I look forward eagerly to following the discussions. I hope people will post images and dialogue excerpts to illustrate whatever point they're making.

[brainpanhandler]

I removed the link to the final scene in my previous post. Careless on my part. Hopefully no one clicked it. Although I suppose even if you do see the final scene before seeing the whole movie all that does is whet your appetite. I've seen the film at least 3 or 4 times and I still don't know what I think of the final scene. Anywho...

a couple of suggestions:

bump this thread regularly for a few days so everyone sees it

Let's consider 8 or 9 days, starting on fridays to include more prime film watching days. (or does that not work for netflix? I dunno. I'm still old school and I go to a rental store, although I own Being There)

Discussion continues pretty much as long as members want it to. Or we have a time limit and if people want to continue discussing aspects of a film then a new thread is started? Maybe this will just take care of itself.

Next member to pick a film has to be decided in some fashion. Maybe the current nominator picks a number from 1 to 100 or some such thing. Or perhaps people who wish to participate "join" and we go alphabetically?
Or maybe we all just vote?

[sunny]

I freaking love this idea, but you'll have to give me time to obtain Being There and to watch it again. I think I watched it last in the early '90's.

But please! Humanity's Lens? You are just trying to start trouble.

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

Actually, a new forum called "Movies" would be great.
Then there could be a thread per movie instead of scattering them around.

A pause button, a pen, a notepad. Very deliberate examination yields interesting details.

Re: 'Being There.'
I saw it long ago but only figured out what
themes, events, and people
it was meant to hide as decoy counterpropaganda
when this article below came out
just recently (December 2007) and I caught it at Alex Constantine's website.

That photo above of Peter Sellers in a wheelchair is a BIG thematic hint from the 'script writers.'

Have a look and see for yourself: keywords, images, larger themes-
http://news.scotsman.com/worldwarii/Scotland39s-Nazi-secret.3598433.jp

All readily discernible in these articles-

the movie-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_There

the original book author-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerzy_Kosi%C5%84ski

[annie aronburg]

I've often wondered what an HMW film festival would comprise.

Being There is a film I have always meant to watch but never have.

The man who started me on my quest to learn about autism once compared himself to Chance the Gardener.

Annie

[FourthBase]

bump this thread regularly for a few days so everyone sees it

Jeff should be able to pin a handful of threads, no?

[brainpanhandler]

A pause button, a pen, a notepad. Very deliberate examination yields interesting details.

I suppose this was inevitable, utterly predictable and in fact engineered, but fer Christ's sake Hugh.... I've carefully read the Keyword Hijacking/Psy-ops threads/wars and never said a word as it seemed people much smarter than me had your number. But since I'd like this idea of an RI themed cinema club to be something other than that debate or at least to consist largely of conversations different than that one and since I have a special fondness for Ashby's Harold and Maude and Being There you will hear from me as well (AND I voted on your side in the KWH poll!). Does it ever occur to you that perhaps "very deliberate examination" might yield a myopic view of things? Suppose a fellow did not know what baseball was and they were attempting to figure it out by peering through a knothole in a fence.

Do you even know how to interpret your experience in any other way?

I've often wondered what an HMW film festival would comprise.

Yah, despite my growing distaste for Hugh's relentlessness (and grudging admiration for such indefatigable determination) I would be curious to know this as well (on it's own thread). But I would be even more curious to have Hugh offer some examples of films of some import and quality that do NOT fit into his pet memes (on it's own thread). I imagine that would be a pretty short list.



This site offers a nice overview of Hal Ashby's work.
http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue08/features/halashby/

[Searcher08]

For anyone who hasn't seen it, this might give a flavor.
HIGHLY recommended

President "Bobby": Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
[Long pause]
Chance the Gardener: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President "Bobby": In the garden.
Chance the Gardener: Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President "Bobby": Spring and summer.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
President "Bobby": Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
Benjamin Rand: I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener: Yes! There will be growth in the spring!
Benjamin Rand: Hmm!
Chance the Gardener: Hmm!
President "Bobby": Hm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time.
[Benjamin Rand applauds]
President "Bobby": I admire your good, solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.

[chillin]

Sounds fun. Good excuse to watch that movie again, haven't seen it since the 80s.

[barracuda]

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend reading Jerzy Kosinski's 1975 novel upon which the film is based. It is breathtakingly beautiful, brief and rewarding.

Kosinski's suicide note read: "I am going to put myself to sleep now for a bit longer than usual. Call the time Eternity."