Why I May be Sleeping on the Couch
Him: You're watching Lord of the Rings on tv?
Me: Yeah!
Him: Well, why don't we just put in the dvd? You've never seen the extended cut.
Me: Actually, I'm morally opposed to extended cuts.
Him: (dead silence)
Him: You're what?
Me: I think it's cheating. You don't get to go back and re-write your book. You don't get to go back and re-paint your painting. You shouldn't get to go back and re-cut your movie.
Him: Sputter! Sputter! Gack! (leaves, comes back with the liner notes from the dvd, reads me the notes on the extended cut)
Me: See, that's just wrong. You work within the constraints of the medium. The time limitations, the asshole studio execs, the distribution bullshit, those are all constraints of the medium, for better or for worse. You make your statement within that framework, and you let it stand. Look, even given those constraints, Jackson made a masterpiece. When it came out on the big screen, it was no longer his to tinker with. It belongs to the world.
Him: Go away and never speak to me again.
Me: But we're having this exciting argument about Art. Doesn't that turn you on?
Him: Not when you are so wrong.
Me: Yeah!
Him: Well, why don't we just put in the dvd? You've never seen the extended cut.
Me: Actually, I'm morally opposed to extended cuts.
Him: (dead silence)
Him: You're what?
Me: I think it's cheating. You don't get to go back and re-write your book. You don't get to go back and re-paint your painting. You shouldn't get to go back and re-cut your movie.
Him: Sputter! Sputter! Gack! (leaves, comes back with the liner notes from the dvd, reads me the notes on the extended cut)
Me: See, that's just wrong. You work within the constraints of the medium. The time limitations, the asshole studio execs, the distribution bullshit, those are all constraints of the medium, for better or for worse. You make your statement within that framework, and you let it stand. Look, even given those constraints, Jackson made a masterpiece. When it came out on the big screen, it was no longer his to tinker with. It belongs to the world.
Him: Go away and never speak to me again.
Me: But we're having this exciting argument about Art. Doesn't that turn you on?
Him: Not when you are so wrong.
—Kyran, 9:27 PM
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2 Comments:
I think watching Lord of the Rings, interrupted by commercials and edited for a format it was never intended for (TV) is just as bad as watching the extended cut. In fact, if you want to get philosophical, the ability to re-watch a movie on TV or DVD in itself changes the way you watch movies. Sort of like the act of watching changes that which is being watched.
We own lots of films on DVD and Rob often prefers to watch them when they come on TV, but I think it has more to do with being too lazy to get up, find the case, get the DVD out, turn on the theatre system, start the movie and commit to watching it. On TV you can drop in and out by flicking channels.
Are you saying you're not turned on, either? ;-)
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