Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2009 September 10

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

September 10

West World

I am certain that Westworld with Yul Brynner is the best movie ever. Are there any references from reliable sources that support this. More honestly (talk) 02:02, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Better than The King and I, also starring Yul Brynner? I think not. Did Brynner sing and dance in Westworld? I think not. Regardless, any source that says any particular film is "the best ever" is merely expressing an opinion, nothing more. But you could look in Google for "top ten films" or some such, and see if a given film is in such a list, in someone's opinion. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 02:17, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Q1: Definitely; Q2: No, thankfully. I will Google, but I think that the recognition that this film deserves has been suppressed by a radical group that is POV pushing its own as yet undetermined agenda. More honestly (talk) 02:32, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Or it could just be that the film just wasn't all that good... --Jayron32 02:36, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

What about The Ten Commandments? Ben-Hur, er, Moses parted the Red Sea in that one, while Yul Brynner looked on with awe and wonder at such a great special effect. I don't recall any exciting scenes like that in Westworld. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 02:43, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Bugs, you've worn a cowboy hat [1], you have got to appreciate Westworld! More honestly (talk) 02:50, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

I have seen Westworld, and it's actually quite good. Brynner wears basically the same outfit he wore in The Magnificent Seven (which oddly connects to the previous section in which Natividad Vacío's name came up) and plays a sinister character, although Brynner always seemed kind of sinister even when he was a good guy. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 03:18, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

A line used a number of times by Brynner in The Ten Commandments went something like, "So it shall be written; so it shall be done." That's one I use whenever appropriate. I can't use any of his lines in Westworld because, as I recall, he didn't have any - adding to his sinisterness. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 03:23, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

This is the old question about the difference between "what is good/bad" vs. "what I like/dislike". You're on much safer ground with the latter. Only you know what you like or dislike, and nobody can persuade you, without your consent, to change your opinions. But even if 99% of the world agreed that Westworld was the best/worst film ever made, that doesn't make it "true". And if you disagreed with them, as you're perfectly entitled to do, that doesn't make your opinion true either. If you like it, just like it and consort with like-minded people. Let others think what they want. -- JackofOz (talk) 08:49, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

You might be able to find someone who thinks Ed Wood's films are the best ever. They're certainly the best ones Ed made. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 12:12, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Well, one of them won a top award. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 13:31, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Whatever strange opinion you hold, I pretty much guarantee there is someone out there in internetland who shares it. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:43, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Michael Crichton liked Westworld so much that he rewrote it as Jurassic Park. The plot both times: the main attractions at a high-tech amusement park go nuts and attack the visitors. (Spielberg's film version became Jaws on land; it could have been called Landshark.) I'd say that Yul Brynner is more fun as the villain than T-Rex or a rubber shark. And if you like Westworld, you may enjoy "A Fistful of Datas". —Kevin Myers 02:48, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

Both Westworld and Jurrasic Park are basically Frankenstein retellings anyways. Even Frankenstein wasn't original in terms of the type of story being told. It's a story archetype dating back thousands of years. --Jayron32 04:40, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Just as there are no new jokes, there are no new stories. Star Wars was essentially King Arthur in outer space, and I'm assuming King Arthur has a Greek or Roman antecendent, and who knows where they got it form. Also, every superhero is essentially a reworking of Hercules. And on it goes. That's not to say that a specific reworking is somehow lessened by not being original thought. There are many good ways to spin a story. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 05:02, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately, Westworld wasn't one of those good ways... ;) --Jayron32 05:05, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

I guess this means that the OP cannot cite you as a source that Westworld is the best movie ever. That's okay: everybody knows that Porky's is the best evah. —Kevin Myers 05:14, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Mmmm. Kim Cattrall before she got all dried up and unattractive. I would certainly put Porky's ahead of Westworld in terms of general artistic merit. --Jayron32 05:25, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Ah, yes, "Lassie". Kim in a cheerleaders' outfit while pushing 26 years of age. And now she's 53, but I certainly wouldn't kick her out for eating crackers. And let's not forget that iconic film series she helped kick off, Police Academy. Surely a series that's right up there with The Thin Man as great cinematic art. Although my favorite of her accomplishments was writing a lovemaking manual with a guy she divorced soon after. Physician, heal thyself. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 05:41, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Apparently you didn't check our Greatest films ever page (No, I did not pipe that link). It's not there. decltype (talk) 10:18, 16 September 2009 (UTC)

8 basic storylines

… which brings up an interesting point. We don't appear to have the 8 basic plots documented anywhere in the encyclopaedia. (No, this is not the Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations.) Yes, the figure 8 is deliberate. Your challenge at this reference desk, should you choose to accept it, is to ignore Christopher Booker, who even though writing in 2004 wasn't aware that the accepted 20th century count was actually eight, and name all eight. Enjoy Umberto Eco's 9 basic moves for James Bond movies along the way. ☺ Uncle G (talk) 15:12, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Native American Ghost Movie?

I remembered watching a horror movie about a native american evil spirit chasing after a young couple. Where ever the couple went, the evil spirt followed. This evil spirit could transform into a man and drive a car to chase after the couple. At night, the spirit transformed into a kite with a big scary face and flied by the window to grab one of the couple in a room. I think this movie was filmed in the 1970s or early 1980s. Does anybody know the title of this movie? 174.114.236.41 (talk) 02:58, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Babylon 5 articles

Could someone have an independent look at Babylon 5's use of the Internet and rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, which to me seem bordering on non-notability due to lack of references independent of source, etc. I don't wish to tag for deletion , as I don't know if there is some good reason why these articles are notable. Thanks.83.100.250.79 (talk) 16:21, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

• Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Babylon 5 is across the quad. Read Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated, Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Babylon 5's use of the Internet, and the sources cited therein along your way there. Uncle G (talk) 14:45, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

Pleasure p question

is pleasure p married —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shaffer5 (talk • contribs) 16:44, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Have you tried the page Pleasure P? A quick glance over the page suggests he is not married.

Circular track racing

When did it begin and what is the history about how circular track racing began to race in a counter clockwise direction. Why not Clockwise? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.248.31.4 (talk) 18:37, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Have you read the Wikipedia article titled Track cycling and then followed some of the external links around? You may find the answers to your questions that way. --Jayron32 05:59, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

Uwe Boll's boxing record?

Does anyone know anything about the Raging Boll's pro/amateur fight record? I'd like to add the data to his article. I couldn't find it online, which kinda makes sense, as it will all have been about 25 years ago. Does anyone have access to old boxing almanacs that might contain this info (or know where I might be able to find it)? Note, I'm not talking about the recent events at which he fought a bunch of film critics in the ring but the results of his proper fights from back in the day. --90.240.160.106 (talk) 18:49, 10 September 2009 (UTC)