I’m hoping to have a nice little preview video of Phenomenon 32 up tomorrow. There’s a lot to do – the wedding is almost upon us – but I really want this thing out there.
Otherwise, I spent most of today building a level for Phenomenon 32 (the marshes) and coughing because of an annoying allergic reaction to my blood pressure medication. (Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous. Just annoying.)
I recently published a comment on Wil Wheaton’s blog after he – as so many others – bashed The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions. I’m reposting the comment here because it’s something I feel very strongly about: the critical persecution of two the most brilliant films made in the last decade, and the fashion of anti-intellectual hating/bashing that has taken over the internet.
I am extremely disappointed by this shallow but fashionable bashing of the Matrix sequels.
Just once the creators behind a sequel actually a deliver a film that is more complex than the original, and what does everyone do? What do the self-proclaimed geeks, supposedly so much more intelligent than your average dude, do? They crap all over it because it doesn’t fulfill their expectations of being a rehash of the original, because it questions the simpler ideas the original presented, and because instead of being a fun popcorn flick it’s a serious, adult piece of science fiction and philosophy.
And then it becomes fashionable to hate this, and everyone starts going on about how much The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions sucked, like tiny versions of George Bush laughing about numbers, glorying in their own stupidity. Yes, thinking is hard, we know. It’s so much easier to stand in line with the sheep and tell us over and over again that a film that deals in actual and difficult philosophical questions is so much worse than one than just throws the occasional quote at us.
I keep hoping to see a little more insight from you, Wil. I’ve been following this blog from the very beginning, and always supported your work, and enjoyed what you wrote… so this kind of fashionable and anti-intellectual hating is a big disappointment, even though I realize you’ve expressed similar opinions before. Obviously you’re not required to the conform the wishes of your readers – and why should you – but from someone I’ve always considered intelligent, a more complex opinion would be appreciated.
I can understand that these two films are considerably more challenging than the first one, and that they may take more than one viewing to fully appreciate. I was very disappointed at first by The Matrix Revolutions, for example – but that’s because my expectations had been off, and I hadn’t understood the point of the film (Smith as a metaphor for death, etc.). When I figured it out and adjusted my expectations, I was utterly blown away (and deeply moved) by the film.
I’m disturbed by current geek culture. I used to think like many of them still do – we’re so much more intelligent, we’re the outsiders, etc. – but it’s really a giant ball of bullshit. An obsession with computer technology doesn’t mean you’re more intelligent any more than living in a trailer means you’re stupid. Half these “outsider geniuses” haven’t read a book in their lives, and wouldn’t be able to appreciate a complex film if it hit them on the nose. Geek culture isn’t about intelligence, it’s about clannishness. In fact, it’s turning more and more anti-intellectual, with everyone running after this or that fashion (“M. Night Shyamalan sucks! Ben Affleck sucks! Lost sucks! The Matrix sucks! Long live the 80s!”) like they are always accusing people outside the geek community of doing.
I know, I know. I keep writing about Tom Waits lately. But there are so few artists like him – artists with an absolutely unique vision and voice (literally and metaphorically), and integrity. The music, the words, the singing… it adds up to something absolutely magical and beautiful.
Currently I am really amazed and touched by House Where Nobody Lives. Here is the end of the song, which always brings tears to my eyes:
Once it held laughter
Once it held dreams
Did they throw it away
Did they know what it means
Did someone’s heart break
Or did someone do somebody wrong?So if you find someone
Someone to have, someone to hold
Don’t trade it for silver
Don’t trade it for gold
Cause I have all of life’s treasures
And they’re fine and they’re good
They remind me that houses
Are just made of wood
What makes a house grand
Ain’t the roof or the doors
If there’s love in a house
It’s a palace for sureWithout love…
It ain’t nothin but a house
A house where nobody lives
Without love it ain’t nothin
But a house, a house where nobody lives.
It’s a shame there isn’t a really good version on YouTube. So you’ll just have to buy Mule Variations. Go ahead. You won’t regret it.
We just came back from Greece, and just as I was grumbling to myself about how depressing Germany is, I turn on my computer and see a review of Desert Bridge at auntie pixelante. It’s just three paragraphs, but it put a huge smile on my face.
Thank you.
(For those still having DPI-related issues: a fixed version of Desert Bridge is still on the way. It will be out just a few days after Phenomenon 32.)
And now for a shower and some pizza.
We’re in Greece and enjoying the weather, the food and the sea. It’s only a very short vacation, and there’s a lot we won’t manage to do, but it’s good to relax, even a little. Reading Duma Key, which is excellent.
OK, gotta go now. See you in a few days.
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