6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
07-02-13 | 09:59 AM
#251
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
If there's going to be a thread-tiff, at least make it a good one... like should EVERY episode of MST3k be eligible or not. Doesn't feel like there's any passion over the counting system. Back in my day, there were REAL thread wars 
07-02-13 | 10:05 AM
#252
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
07-02-13 | 10:08 AM
#253
Thread Starter
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Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
And this is why I am not running this challenge next year, and just forthe sake of information, someone else will have to run the animation challenge as well. I feel I have failed as a host and have ruined the challenge.
07-02-13 | 10:30 AM
#254
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
07-02-13 | 10:47 AM
#255
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Wait to the horror challenege to see
Real tiffs and arguments.. Hell the thread got locked one year
Real tiffs and arguments.. Hell the thread got locked one year
07-02-13 | 10:53 AM
#256
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I don't want drama. That's why I said ppl can count whatever method floats their boat. After all, I'm not doing stats, and the only way to win a prize is by participating. One person already quit the challenge, and I don't want to see anymore leave. So please, for a first time host, no drama?
07-02-13 | 10:57 AM
#257
Thread Starter
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Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I hope you are still reading this DImension X, as I wasn't pissed off at you, but I do accept your apology nonetheless.
07-02-13 | 11:18 AM
#258
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Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Judging by the way I've performed in Challenges this year, switching to easy counting may be my best hope to match last year, and that was only 14.5 titles. 
I suggest we just watch some good sci-fi and make decisions about the future once we've had a chance to settle in.
I suggest we just watch some good sci-fi and make decisions about the future once we've had a chance to settle in.
07-02-13 | 11:24 AM
#259
Thread Starter
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07-02-13 | 11:27 AM
#260
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
07-02-13 | 11:46 AM
#261
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Shadokitty I think you've done a wonderful job as host. You haven't failed or ruined anything by being the host this year. I commend you for taking on this challenge for us. I think a lot of the people have forgotten that this is supposed to be a FUN thing and to just go and enjoy watching a bunch of science fiction movies. Isn't that the ultimate goal? Watch, discuss and find hidden gems from others. This is what I get out this and all the challenges I participate in.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
07-02-13 | 12:01 PM
#262
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07-02-13 | 12:08 PM
#263
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I looked up a list of the top Sci-Fi films, and try and see as many as I could. It's not looking likely!
My Alien(s) box has wandered off; my Blade Runner is buried somewhere; apparently I never owned Terminator and the library has NONE of them. It has half a dozen copies of AvP, though, as if to pretend to compensate... Not even District 9.
Also, Amazon has all the Star Trek films streaming Prime-ly except Search for Spock, which also isn't at the library, so unless I go out of order I can't even watch those.
First world problems!
My Alien(s) box has wandered off; my Blade Runner is buried somewhere; apparently I never owned Terminator and the library has NONE of them. It has half a dozen copies of AvP, though, as if to pretend to compensate... Not even District 9.
Also, Amazon has all the Star Trek films streaming Prime-ly except Search for Spock, which also isn't at the library, so unless I go out of order I can't even watch those.
First world problems!
07-02-13 | 12:13 PM
#264
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
God, I hate that movie. I'm an almost shameless apologist for 90% of every movie I have ever seen, finding redeemable elements in even the most generic tripe, but I have absolutely not one good thing to say about All Dogs Go to Heaven. Not one. The best I could manage is that the character designs and artwork aren't terrible. They don't really wow me in any way, but I don't hate them. That's it.
It's funny; just yesterday I found myself in a conversation about how when I was a kid, McDonald's legitimized movies. Whichever kid movie had the McD's tie-in seemed vetted and trustworthy. All Dogs Go to Heaven's fast food tie-in was at Wendy's. Wendy's! That should have been the red flag. But my baby brother loved dogs. He would watch anything with a dog in it. And so we had to go see All Dogs Go to Heaven.
I get that it's an "anti-Disney" film and that it set out to give us something different. That's a perfectly fine starting point. But at no point did I ever like or care about a single character. I wanted someone to call child protective services to take care of the little girl and when it became obvious that wasn't even a consideration, I pretty much quit caring what became of her, too. The songs are generic, but even worse only snippets of them seem to be performed. It's as though Bluth felt obligated to use songs but had no interest in them so he interrupts them all to get back to the bleak narrative. He shouldn't have even bothered with songs. He showed even less patience with songs in Rock-A-Doodle.
I could go on with my contempt for that film but I really don't want to come off as bashing what anyone else digs. I'm just really bad about keeping my trap shut when it comes to how much I hate that one!
It's funny; just yesterday I found myself in a conversation about how when I was a kid, McDonald's legitimized movies. Whichever kid movie had the McD's tie-in seemed vetted and trustworthy. All Dogs Go to Heaven's fast food tie-in was at Wendy's. Wendy's! That should have been the red flag. But my baby brother loved dogs. He would watch anything with a dog in it. And so we had to go see All Dogs Go to Heaven.
I get that it's an "anti-Disney" film and that it set out to give us something different. That's a perfectly fine starting point. But at no point did I ever like or care about a single character. I wanted someone to call child protective services to take care of the little girl and when it became obvious that wasn't even a consideration, I pretty much quit caring what became of her, too. The songs are generic, but even worse only snippets of them seem to be performed. It's as though Bluth felt obligated to use songs but had no interest in them so he interrupts them all to get back to the bleak narrative. He shouldn't have even bothered with songs. He showed even less patience with songs in Rock-A-Doodle.
I could go on with my contempt for that film but I really don't want to come off as bashing what anyone else digs. I'm just really bad about keeping my trap shut when it comes to how much I hate that one!
Just kidding!
I'm pretty sure that my affection for the film has more to do with my childhood than the film itself. I was five when it came out, and I know I had it on VHS by the time I was seven or eight. As with a lot of films I loved as a kid, I can see the flaws, but I just don't care. In fact, some of the reasons I connect with this film when I find other Bluth films to be better (An American Tale, The Land Before Time, The Secret of NIMH) are reasons you dislike it. The characters (with the exception of the orphaned girl) are reprehensible and mostly terrible (even the comic relief is pretty awful). As a goody two-shoes still convinced he was going to hell, the fact these characters made it to heaven was somehow reassuring.Also, I know what you mean about McDonalds. There was one in our Wal-Mart next to the deli, and there was always this huge display set up that would showcase all the toys for the kids waiting on their parents to get lunch meat and cheese slices. My family was anti-fast food while I was growing up, so I very rarely got the toys. Though I do remember buying the tie-in toys for The Flintstones live-action movie.
07-02-13 | 12:26 PM
#265
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Thank you for the support everyone, and I am thrilled to see lively discussion still going on in this thread as well. Let's keep it up everyone. Also I have reconsidered, and if enough people want me to, I will run the animation callenge if no one else does.
Let's keep it up everyone. Also I have reconsidered, and if enough people want me to, I will run the animation callenge if no one else does.
07-02-13 | 12:30 PM
#266
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I looked up a list of the top Sci-Fi films, and try and see as many as I could. It's not looking likely!
My Alien(s) box has wandered off; my Blade Runner is buried somewhere; apparently I never owned Terminator and the library has NONE of them. It has half a dozen copies of AvP, though, as if to pretend to compensate... Not even District 9.
Also, Amazon has all the Star Trek films streaming Prime-ly except Search for Spock, which also isn't at the library, so unless I go out of order I can't even watch those.
First world problems!
My Alien(s) box has wandered off; my Blade Runner is buried somewhere; apparently I never owned Terminator and the library has NONE of them. It has half a dozen copies of AvP, though, as if to pretend to compensate... Not even District 9.
Also, Amazon has all the Star Trek films streaming Prime-ly except Search for Spock, which also isn't at the library, so unless I go out of order I can't even watch those.
First world problems!
07-02-13 | 01:00 PM
#267
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I second your nomination to run the animation challenge! My problem is do I watch Heavy Metal now or wait till August?????
07-02-13 | 01:05 PM
#268
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Also, if anyone is interested, on July 4, Sy Fy is airing a marathon of the original Twilight Zone all day long.
07-02-13 | 01:23 PM
#269
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Regarding the rules changes, it's not very fair to shadokitty to pitch a fit now. The discussion thread started well in advance of yesterday and there was more than ample time for anyone to raise any questions. Counting method is always a point of contention but really, unless there is a prize being awarded based on how much anyone watches - and in this year's challenge, there isn't - what difference does it really make?
One of the things that participating in the Criterion Challenge has really taught me is that I'm not competing with the other participants. I'm competing with myself. Some participants can watch movies where they work. Some have three kids, two jobs, night classes and 90 minutes a week where they can try to squeeze in some viewing. The "Watch 100 Movies in a Month" template that launched the Horror Challenge has pretty well died off as a formal goal because it's simply not practical for a lot of forum members. That's okay.
Because you're competing with yourself, you can choose to go for that 100 Movie threshold if you want. You can choose to restrict yourself only to feature films and eschew all TV content and short films. You can do that and take pride that you've done it old school. I get that. But really, who else will ever know or care that you did? No one. I'm not saying that to be snotty. I'm saying it to make my case that it's liberating to only compete with oneself. And if you're competing with just yourself, it shouldn't bother you how my competition with myself goes.
Because you're competing with yourself, you can choose to go for that 100 Movie threshold if you want. You can choose to restrict yourself only to feature films and eschew all TV content and short films. You can do that and take pride that you've done it old school. I get that. But really, who else will ever know or care that you did? No one. I'm not saying that to be snotty. I'm saying it to make my case that it's liberating to only compete with oneself. And if you're competing with just yourself, it shouldn't bother you how my competition with myself goes.
shadokitty is right to emphasize *content* over technical issues. To that end, I have to say that this year's checklist expansions were all wonderful ideas (and I'm not just saying that become some of them were mine!). Hugo/Nebula Award Winners? Bradbury? These things should have been there all along. And remember, the checklist is always optional...
07-02-13 | 01:27 PM
#270
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Shadokitty I think you've done a wonderful job as host. You haven't failed or ruined anything by being the host this year. I commend you for taking on this challenge for us. I think a lot of the people have forgotten that this is supposed to be a FUN thing and to just go and enjoy watching a bunch of science fiction movies. Isn't that the ultimate goal? Watch, discuss and find hidden gems from others. This is what I get out this and all the challenges I participate in.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
07-02-13 | 01:52 PM
#272
DVD Talk Legend
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Another vote of appreciation for the job you're doing, shadokitty. I believe I initiated the "counting method" discussion, but please know it wasn't meant to discourage you. I simply stated that I had just noticed the change and preferred the previous method for personal reasons. Not a big deal to me if folks like the easy method. It appears Dimension X objected to the claims that he (or anyone else) was pitching/throwing a fit over the issue. I went back and read the discussion again--I don't believe it's fair to say anyone went that far with it.
Hope you'll keep up the good work, shadokitty. Especially thankful you stepped up at a time when no one else was lined up to do it.
Hope you'll keep up the good work, shadokitty. Especially thankful you stepped up at a time when no one else was lined up to do it.
07-02-13 | 02:00 PM
#273
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I've made it official in the rules that people can use any counting method they wish to, as prize determination does not depend on number of items watched.
07-02-13 | 02:03 PM
#274
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
I found Monty Python and the Holy Grail is labeled as: Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy
Looks like it just might get a viewing by me this month!
07-02-13 | 02:10 PM
#275
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: 6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge
Shadokitty I think you've done a wonderful job as host. You haven't failed or ruined anything by being the host this year. I commend you for taking on this challenge for us. I think a lot of the people have forgotten that this is supposed to be a FUN thing and to just go and enjoy watching a bunch of science fiction movies. Isn't that the ultimate goal? Watch, discuss and find hidden gems from others. This is what I get out this and all the challenges I participate in.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.
Sorry if that was long winded but just wanted you to know you had someone in your corner.