Escape to the Movies: "The Master"

You’ve heard correctly.

“Intermission” is about the Summer’s big surprise hit.

33 thoughts on “Escape to the Movies: "The Master"”

  2. Phil says:
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    I was out of the loop for a bit on this site and just recently decided to check out a past Escape To The Movies show which had Bob doing a Fall preview.

    Should I have not been surprised that Bob described Argo as a movie he really wants to see?

    A couple of months ago, the same day in fact that the trailer for Argo was released, I called Bob out on him ignoring Hollywood's blatant discrimination practices and only mentioning them if it benefits him as a white person. I don't regret that because now I know I am right.

    After that whole situation, Bob posted the trailer here but included a fact. Was it the fact that Ben Affleck is playing a real life Latino and therefore was a perfect opportunity to give a Latino actor a LEAD role in a major American film which is something that rarely ever happens in American cinema? No, he mentioned that AFTER the fact that comic book artist Jack Kirby will be in the film (who will be portrayed by a white man). Cause how silly would it have been if Jack Kirby were be portrayed by someone like George Lopez? But Tony Mendez, a real Latino? No. Tony Mendez is the LEAD of the movie and therefore will be portrayed by a white man. Bob put that fact AFTER the note about Kirby and you had to actually enter the page to see that note which was worded in a very dishonest tone. It showed that he really didn't care.

    And now after all this time when the movie is closing on its release date all Bob has to say is that he is really looking forward to it. He goes out of his way in his Fall preview to mention what a crummy director Paul WS Anderson but not what a racist production Argo is by continuing Hollywood's sick practice of denying nonwhites LEAD roles in major movies.

    Not important enough to Bob.

    And when Bob does publish his review for Argo I wonder what angle will he take?

    Maybe he'll come up with a real convoluted reason to justify Ben Affleck's casting like he did when he tried to unconvincingly defend Jake Gyllenhaal's casting in Prince of Persia.

    Maybe he'll just take a neutral stand like when he reviewed M. Night's Avatar adaptation by calling what essentially was an entire whitewash as “interesting”.

    Or maybe he just won't mention it at all. Who care right? I bet you Devin Faraci's doesn't give a shit. No one in those white owned websites give a shit because it benefits them. But when Thor's ass might've been on the line and put his white lily superhero fantasy fart The Avengers in trouble he went out of his way to somehow actually try to convince everyone that Idris Elba playing what is essentially a doorman role was somehow progress.

    But when it's actually about the big prize which is a LEAD role in a major movie that is coming with supposed Oscar buzz which could've been TRUE progress for a Latino actor… nothing.

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  3. JamesT says:
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    @Phil

    We all know Hollywood is guilty of whitewashing. I'm sure Bob knows it more than most. But that doesn't mean he should ignore a movie because Hollywood made that decision once again. And you should absolutely not get mad at Bob just because he wants to see a movie that actually happens to be pretty good (saw it at TIFF).

    Go ahead and get upset about this issue, it's a valid problem in Hollywood. But it's not Bob, or any other critics for that matter who you should be angry at. Society will slowly evolve with enough people like you demanding change. But direct the anger at the right people.

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  5. Brick says:
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    I'd like to see you elaborate on your thoughts of V/H/S, Bob. The trailer looked interesting in that it might actually be a GOOD horror movie for once. It's been too long since I've seen a good horror movie that's legitimately scary.

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  6. Phil says:
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    Bob knows it more than most? I beg to differ, JamesT.

    If Bob really was knowledgeable and sincere about this issue he wouldn't have said things like in his review of M. Night's Avatar adaptation where he described the casting (which was a blatant whitewash) as “interesting”. He wouldn't have made a contrived argument to somehow justify Jake Gyllenhaal's casting in his review of Prince Of Persia. And he certainly wouldn't have built up Idris Elba's role in Thor as some sort of progress when the role is literally that of a doorman with barely 5 minutes of screen time.

    Wouldn't something like actually hiring a Latino as the lead role in a major Hollywood movie that might be in the running for some Oscars be real progress?

    Apparently, it isn't. Or apparently it doesn't matter to him because some white guys saw the movie and liked it so now he forgot about all that whitewashing stuff that Hollywood has been doing for decades and shows no signs of stopping.

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  12. MovieBob says:
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    Hey, look at that. A whole bunch of comments deleted because, as we've been over before, abuse of other commenters isn't tolerated here in either direction.

    Now, then.

    @Phil,

    To be perfectly frank, I haven't been engaging you on this because YOU have been being kind of a jerk about it. Do I think the part should've gone to an authentically Latino actor? Yes, though Affleck taking the role himself is probably how he go the backing for the movie. Am I looking to have a conversation about it with someone who starts throwing accusations at me right off the bat? No, no I'm not.

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  13. Lord Slithor says:
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    Little disappointed, as I really have no intention at all of seeing The Master. Granted, I really like Boogie Nights, but I think that's mostly because of its look at the Porn industry in the 1970's. I haven't really had much inclination to see any of Paul Thomas Anderson's other movies.

    You explained why you hadn't reviewed Looper. But I had been hoping you would have reviewed Hotel Transylvania instead. Especially since my fiancee for some reason really wants to see that movie and won't shut up about it. And especially since you thought it was pretty good, I would have thought it would have been worth devoting a whole segment to it.

    RE: Intermission. Didn't get a chance to see Ted, though I'll definitely check it out when it comes to Redbox.

    I'll judge for myself about V/H/S. We've agreed before (Sucker Punch) and disagreed on others (Amazing Spider-Man). So when it comes to something like this, it's something I'll just need to see for myself.

    Same with what you said about Godzilla. Yes, I can kind of see where you're coming from. Monsters was a surprisingly dull movie for something with such an intriguing premise. But at the same time I don't think Gareth Edwards will take that same approach with his Godzilla movie, as he's said he's a fan. And since it's being touted as a blockbuster, he's not going to skimp on big action setpieces. More likely he'll try to give the human characters more depth; a quality that's been lacking in many Godzilla movies.

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  15. David Anders says:
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    As a horror fan and horror reviewer, I don't agree with the mountains of praise or criticism leveled at V/H/S.

    Is it a creative (if flawed) new spin on anthology horror, yes it is. Do all the stories work, no, but then again how often do anthology horror films have all good stories?

    Even the two most cited horror anthologies, Creepshow and Creepshow 2 have their weak moments.

    V/H/S does a lot of things right, especially in it's creative uses of the found footage element, but that doesn't change that some of the stories are bad (the wrap around being especially pointless) and the film isn't going to be “Scary” to anyone who's watched horror films regularly.

    Is it worth a watch, absolutely, but don't go into it with expectations that are too high.

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  17. Phil says:
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    Bob, tagging me with “jerk” as a way of a avoiding dialog on this is a cop out. It's a pure cop out.

    I didn't accuse you of anything off the bat. I am referencing specific moments that has lead me to the conclusion I am expressing here. If you think that is wrong then respond.

    Do you stand by everything you said about the movies Prince of Persia and M. Night's Avatar adaptation? How can you look forward to a movie that is the very example of nonwhites being denied real opportunities in Hollywood? Why would you be more vocal about a criminally underrated talented actor playing a doorman with barely 5 minutes of screentime just because he is black but you say hardly anything about the lead role of a movie going to another white man when every opportunity existed to give it to a nonwhite actor?

    And you again show me that you don't really understand this situation and/or are not sincere by saying, “Affleck taking the role himself is probably how he go the backing for the movie”. You see it's justification like that which allows nonwhite talent to be shut out of lead roles in big Hollywood movies. That's literally the kinds of lines that Hollywood uses to make sure that its white supremacist system is maintained. Yet you throw it here liberally in order to justify yourself wanting to see that movie.

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  18. Phil says:
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    By the way, I just noticed this now but I saw several comments deleted by posts marked with the names “Darwin” and “Phil”. I was not that “Phil”. Someone decided to be deceitful to try and frame me apparently. Bob, if this was what lead to your conclusion to call me a “jerk” I am telling you that the last post I made before the one I made directly to you just now was in response to JamesT.

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  20. Anonymous says:
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    dear MovieBob, today i learned that you supported the Tropes vs women or wtf was this scam called by that stupid pseudofeminist cunt, you lost my respect, im no longer watching any of your videos

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  21. David says:
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    Hey bob, I have two big things to ask you.

    1: What are the top most important RPGs to play if one is to thoroughly study the genre?

    2: I just re-watched your old Big Picture episode about space travel. Have you heard about all the private companies working to make space travel a reality? Yeah, you should watch this video.
    http://youtu.be/2h_d6YVA1Kg
    This guy, Bill Whittle, has some truly epic (read: American) plans for the future of space travel. One where we won't have to worry about politicians getting off their ass, and get it done ourselves. He and other people are working on a way to fund private space travel that I believe could really, truly work.

    I highly reccomend you follow Bill Whittle and his updates on The Free Frontier (just a warning, though: Bill is as hardcore a right-winger as right-wingers can get).

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  22. Daniel R says:
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    The Master isn't playing in any theaters near me.

    This makes me sad 😦

    Either way, you know what is playing, Dredd.

    Hot Damn that was awesome! Having never read the series, I can't tell if it was at all accurate to the source's tone but I still loved it! Amazingly violent and shocking, I almost had to leave the theater a few times actually. Especially, well I don't want to spoil it but:
    “Choke on this!”
    That had me curled up in my seat. Didn't exactly have me smiling by the end of it, but so worth it.

    @Phil

    Actually. Yes, you are being sort of a jerk. You have a point but your presenting it through a sheen of absolute jerkitude.
    Hollywood is what it is. Things are getting better. Slower then we could hope for yes, but better nonetheless. Just because they insist on continuing with their stupid prejudices for now does not mean critics like Bob should stop doing their job and it definitely does not mean you should pester them for doing so. What we can do is commend films for emphasizing diversity, and condemn them for not- just as Bob has done by repeating that he is not a fan of Affleck being given the role rather then a Latino actor- and wait for the noxious bits of prejudice to naturally flow out of our culture.

    Allright, here I just don't see you're reasoning;
    Heimdall was the best part of the damn movie. Branagh cast a great African American actor in a role that he knew would draw the ire of racists (or even worse, fanboys) and gave us a fantastic performance that many would like to see more of. He was an active member in the film, he was most definitely not “just a doorman”

    And Argo, really?
    You're getting pissed off over Argo? Of all the racist as hell films that absolutely negate minority leads, ARGO was the one to push you over the edge? Affleck is wrongly cast as a mixed-raced CIA agent then the entire thing is an instant travesty? Regardless of, you know, the quality of the thing.
    Fine, then vote with your wallet and don't go. I for one won't let one decision ruin my excitement.
    Bane is Latino in the comics and Tom Hardy still delivered a stellar performance. Is the TDKR less of a film because they cast him? Yes, yes it is. But that doesn't mean that we can't appreciate many other aspects of the film.

    Latino and damn excited to see Argo.

    @David

    Yeah, as much as I'd like to meet some aliens pronto, I kind of don't want this guy to go down in history as the guy to make it happen. Then again, I also wouldn't like Branson to go down in history either so umm… Go India and China.

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  23. Phil says:
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    Daniel R, if I recall correctly I was debating you on the post that Bob made when he put up the trailer for Argo. If that was you then I already have proven you wrong on multiple counts so I am not going to repeat them here. It's quite sad to see that you haven't bothered to learn anything out of that exchange and instead choose to stay ignorant.

    If I also remember correctly, you are still a teenager. You have a lot to learn because you made some jaw dropping inane comments and since you are just a teenager that means that hopefully you still have time. Comments like this include actually defending brown face. That is shocking that a self proclaimed Latino would defend brown face. I told you to do research on brown face, yellow face, black face, etc… in order to understand the history of it and why it should not be tolerated but you clearly did not listen.

    Hollywood is not getting better at all. In the same year, Warner Brothers released TWO major movies that had TWO major Latino characters and neither were played by Latinos. Warner Brothers also wants to make a whitewashed Akira and the directors of the Matrix and Run Lola Run are releasing in a few weeks a movie that includes yellow face in the movie in the guise of racial equality.

    No, things are not getting better whatsoever.

    And please don't use the “mixed race” nonsense about Tony Mendez. If you really are Latino then you should already know that the grand majority of Latinos are mixed. It goes without saying. Using that phrase sounds like a white supremacist trying to defend Ben Affleck's casting which is probably where you indirectly get your education from.

    P.S. Yes, Idris Elba's role was that of a doorman. What was his character's job? How much did his character do? He didn't do anything but stand near an entrance the entire time (which was about 5 minutes tops). When his character did finally do something other than that he was literally frozen until the end of the movie. Yeah, what a role.

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  24. Daniel R says:
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    @Phil

    A couple of things.

    Here's the thing about 'things getting better' in hollywood regarding minorities. From where I stand, its mostly getting better, not because Hollywood is actually putting in some effort into getting better, but because of demographics. As minorities become a bigger voice both in and out of the industry, Hollywood is and will progressively wean out some of its more tasteless habits.

    Ok, I'm not even getting close to that Cloud Atlas controversy. I've heard several differing point of views regarding its use of race and gender, I'll just leave it at that.
    But, that Akira remake your talking about. Production's been shut down for the fourth time as of now. Why? Well, several reasons. Some people say it had to do with budgeting or problems with the script. But I'm willing to bet that the massive controversy over the whitewashing of the cast had something to do with the film's ensuing placement in development hell. The Last Airbender still gets shit for its casting, and I'm pretty sure that when a “Legend of Korra” movie inevitably gets made, producers will think twice of making the same mistake again.

    Things are getting better, slowly but surely.

    Ok, thats just bull. I did not defend brownface.
    I pointed out that the way Affleck looks in the film, wether via make up or lighting, made him look a bit Mexican. I was not endorsing it and in fact, I repeated several times that the role should have been given to a Latino actor. The fact that Affleck looks like that does not in any way justify his casting, it still should have gone to a real Latino. It was just something I noticed while watching the trailer and I thought was interesting enough to share. I really wish I hadn't now that I have you jumping down my throat over it.

    Regarding Heimdall,
    His character is clearly established as one of the most powerful in Asgard. The Warrior's Three, and even Loki are afraid of him. Without him and his defiance to Loki, Thor would still be trapped on Earth and bam, movie over. He was an active agent in the story and Elba was lauded by pretty much everyone for such an awesome performance. Reportedly, he's getting an even bigger role in the sequel, and there was much rejoicing. There's a big difference between Guardsman of the Realm and Doorman.

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  25. Phil says:
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    Demographics have nothing to do with anything, Daniel R. It's who is in charge.

    I don't know whether to interpret you holding off on commenting on the Cloud Atlas issue as an improvement from last time when you defended brown face or just you being ignorant of what the problem people have is.

    Akira being shut down has nothing to do with the casting. Warner Brothers met with different Asian American groups prior to the movie being casted precisely because they did not want the roles to be whitewashed. After that meeting Warner Brothers went ahead and started looking at only white people for the leads.

    Nothing is getting better.

    That is not bull. You defended brown face which was funny because you first claimed Tony Mendez had “fairly fair skin” then went on to say that make up helped Affleck look Latino which made no sense.

    And about Heimdall, it doesn't matter how powerful they say his character is. They've made movies with god as a character with black actors playing it. Yet we still have much dissemination in Hollywood. The issue is who is the main character of the movie? Well, it's called “Thor” so obviously it's not Heimdall. Does he have much screen time? Well, Kat Dennings has more screen time then him so no. What does he do in the movie? All of his screen time consists of standing near an entry and talk a bit. The only time he does anything aside from talking a bit is swinging a sword but not even all the way because he gets frozen until the end of the movie.

    How anyone can interpret that kind of a role as progressive is beyond me. It's about a token of a role as it gets.

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  26. Phil says:
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    Small correction:

    They've made movies with god as a character with black actors playing it. Yet we still have much discrimination in Hollywood.

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  28. Kyle says:
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    I've seen The Last Dragon as many times as I've seen Ghostbusters (its a lot).

    Now that I'm a real adult, I try my best to get all of my friends to watch it with me, with only moderate success. =/

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  29. Coultsy says:
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    I'm getting real tired of all of the negative crap that goes on in Bob's comments.

    Here's a guy who really seems to have a boner for movies and popular culture and a willingness to put in the time to post what I think are some of the most entertaining and chat worthy reviews around.

    They are opinion pieces and he gives us a place where we can discuss them.

    Instead of chatting about the movie he has reviewed and expressing your opinion on it, there's just all this weird “Bob said this blah blah…” “Bob said that…” like he's killed your cat or something.

    Get over it man. Express your opinion on his review for sure – I thought his review of DKR was way off (that film had a bunch of pot holes and was downright cheesy in the end). If you don't like his reviews and can't not be jerk about it, go find some other place to haunt or write your own blog.

    In writing this I'm probably gonna start a whole new barrage of hateful crap in here.. yeeesh

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