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Adam Curtis - Can't Get You Out Of My Head, Feb 11th

Started by Mobius, January 22, 2021, 12:15:51 AM

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Mobius

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2021/cgyoomh

The highly anticipated new work from journalist and Bafta award-winning filmmaker, Adam Curtis will premiere exclusively on BBC iPlayer on 11 February 2021.

This new series of films tells the story of how we got to the strange days we are now experiencing. And why both those in power - and we - find it so difficult to move on.

The films trace different forces across the world that have led to now, not just in the West, but in China and Russia as well. It covers a wide range - including the strange roots of modern conspiracy theories, the history of China, opium and opiods, the history of Artificial Intelligence, melancholy over the loss of empire and, love and power. And explores whether modern culture, despite its radicalism, is really just part of the new system of power.

Adam Curtis says: "These strange days did not just happen. We - and those in power - created them together."


Can't wait.

PlanktonSideburns


BlodwynPig


Blinder Data

really hope the title means that, instead of Burial and musique concrète, the soundtrack is solely made up of 2000s pop bangers

jaydee81

I want to live in an Adam Curtis film. 100% immersive, Adam commenting on everything I do and think and read on Twitter. 'He thought he wanted the milk, but it was a trap...'

BlodwynPig

Quote from: jaydee81 on January 22, 2021, 11:11:35 AM
I want to live in an Adam Curtis film. 100% immersive, Adam commenting on everything I do and think and read on Twitter. 'He thought he wanted the milk, but it was a trap...'

I can't imagine AC-world having twitter in it. His world is more mature and real, no room for digital chimpanzees flinging shit.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

'And the man responsible for the global cascade? A figure so obscure that even those at the top are unaware of his existence. Barry Harkness, who empties the bins at Iceland in Penrith.

jaydee81

I really miss Adam Curtis' BBC Blog. He used to do little histories of places like Kabul as far as I remember, posting loads of random shit he'd uploaded to iPlayer. And the odd 50 minute rough cut of a documentary about Cecil king and Rupert Murdoch.

It was like a lovely little Adam Curtis Twitter, where the only user was Adam Curtis

Al Tha Funkee Homosapien

Quote from: jaydee81 on January 22, 2021, 12:40:36 PM
I really miss Adam Curtis' BBC Blog. He used to do little histories of places like Kabul as far as I remember, posting loads of random shit he'd uploaded to iPlayer. And the odd 50 minute rough cut of a documentary about Cecil king and Rupert Murdoch.

It was like a lovely little Adam Curtis Twitter, where the only user was Adam Curtis

I mean it still exists. Just not been posted in since 2016.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis

Sebastian Cobb

I like his stuff but it's often posh tin foil innit?

thugler

Yeah, I think I've watched enough of his stuff to simultaneously think he's brilliant at what he does, but his conclusions sometimes aren't quite thought through properly and rather cherry picked to fit the narrative he has decided is most important.

GMTV

He's going to tell us exactly where the 'vid came from yasss

Haunting sounds playing over a VHS recording of a guy shagging a pangolin

jaydee81

I mean, the first 34 times he used the Moon soundtrack it was haunting, but it did start to tire

jaydee81

Quote from: thugler on January 22, 2021, 02:59:12 PM
Yeah, I think I've watched enough of his stuff to simultaneously think he's brilliant at what he does, but his conclusions sometimes aren't quite thought through properly and rather cherry picked to fit the narrative he has decided is most important.

I'm going to try to be the first person to explicitly say I like his work when he doesn't try to tie it all up in a neat bow at the end. The Mayfair Set etc

Al Tha Funkee Homosapien

I unashamedly love all his stuff, but The Mayfair Set and Century of the Self are my jamz.

Icehaven

Quote from: thugler on January 22, 2021, 02:59:12 PM
... his conclusions sometimes aren't quite thought through properly and rather cherry picked to fit the narrative he has decided is most important.

Yep I definitely find this. I was listening to his appearance on Adam Buxton's podcast from a few years back the other day and he was fixating on the notion of individualism because it was the theme of his most recent film, and he was just forcing everything into it, making pretty poor connections and trying to sound authoritative when it really didn't make a lot of sense. At one point he tried to claim young people don't fall in love anymore because they're too self centred, and even Dr. Buckles scoffed a bit and suggested he maybe thought that because he was old now (although he put it far more charitably than that), and I just thought "this bloke doesn't really know what he's on about, does he?" I've watched and enjoyed his docs before and I'll probably watch the new one but they do need to be taken with a big pinch of salt and not as gospel.

PlanktonSideburns

hes defo got that chistopher lasch book tattooed all over his body

im happy to read his films as provcations in the light of that, its an angle, not a bullet of truth, as all things should be read

jonnycuba

I've been a fan of Curtis's work however I do wonder if he is just another sad face capitalist poking about at the entrails. The BBC (Curtis is their special boy) are great at self flagellation, I'd personally like to see some praxis along with the navel gazing.

Trailer here? https://twitter.com/jonronson/status/1353333043512160257

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on January 22, 2021, 02:48:18 PM
I like his stuff but it's often posh tin foil innit?

I don't think so. It is extremely over simplified though, in order to highlight broad intellectual-historical trends, which is why I think his series should be taken as filmic essays rather than (as many take them) historical documentaries.

Not really looking forward to his commentary on Chinese history, but I'll reserve judgment.

thugler

Quote from: jaydee81 on January 22, 2021, 04:05:09 PM
I'm going to try to be the first person to explicitly say I like his work when he doesn't try to tie it all up in a neat bow at the end. The Mayfair Set etc

Yeah I would say it's from 'all watched over by machines of loving grace' onwards which has suffered from this issue more obviously.

I say that while absolutely loving his style and being enthralled by it all the same. It does annoy me sometimes when he conveniently ignores stuff that wouldn't fit with his narrative through line though. I don't think anyone actually wants broad conclusions drawn so I don't know why he tries to tie things together so crudely as he does. 

Wet Blanket

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on January 24, 2021, 05:45:30 PM
Trailer here? https://twitter.com/jonronson/status/1353333043512160257


In just a couple of minutes that ticks off most of the Adam Curtis bingo card, but I don't mind. If you can't enjoy a bit of bloated dystopia porn from Adam Curtis during a global pandemic, when can you?

chveik

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on January 23, 2021, 12:27:36 PM
hes defo got that chistopher lasch book tattooed all over his body

oh I read this one. a load of bollocks from a right-wing pseud

GoblinAhFuckScary

Now I like Burial... and I like archival footage. Which one is better? Well there's only one way to find out

BlodwynPig

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on January 24, 2021, 05:45:30 PM
Trailer here? https://twitter.com/jonronson/status/1353333043512160257

I don't think so. It is extremely over simplified though, in order to highlight broad intellectual-historical trends, which is why I think his series should be taken as filmic essays rather than (as many take them) historical documentaries.

Not really looking forward to his commentary on Chinese history, but I'll reserve judgment.

Doesn't look right, like some fan version of an Adam Curtis piece.

Petey Pate

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on January 24, 2021, 05:45:30 PMI don't think so. It is extremely over simplified though, in order to highlight broad intellectual-historical trends, which is why I think his series should be taken as filmic essays rather than (as many take them) historical documentaries.

It's interesting how Adam Curtis prefers to define himself as a journalist, yet filmmaking and editing are clearly his real muse.


Mr Farenheit

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on January 22, 2021, 12:25:24 PM
'And the man responsible for the global cascade? A figure so obscure that even those at the top are unaware of his existence. Ronnie Pickering.

KennyMonster

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on January 22, 2021, 02:48:18 PM
I like his stuff but it's often posh tin foil innit?

Quote from: thugler on January 22, 2021, 02:59:12 PM
Yeah, I think I've watched enough of his stuff to simultaneously think he's brilliant at what he does, but his conclusions sometimes aren't quite thought through properly and rather cherry picked to fit the narrative he has decided is most important.

Yeah, I'll watch it but wonder if there will be an opportunity for a drinking game/Adam Curtis bingo?

If he mentions Covid he might try and convince us again that ecology isn't a thing,

Then a bit about how Radio Caroline invented the lobbyist (cut to something about Cummings).

Selfish individuals being the only choice left to society since Thatcher/Regan (cut to anti maskers protesting),

Something Motown playing in the background,

Slow motion gif of Corbyn winking at the camera,
(v/o it was all this man's fault).

Urinal Cake

Well now I guess I find out what's so great about Eduard Liminov.

Petey Pate

Quote from: KennyMonster on January 26, 2021, 06:23:52 AMSlow motion gif of Corbyn winking at the camera,
(v/o it was all this man's fault).

The lack of any mention of Corbyn in Hypernormalization was strange. I think Curtis couldn't figure out a way to incorporate the resurgence of the Labour left into his thesis so he just ignored it entirely.

Even in interviews with Curtis - such as this lengthy one with The Economist, Jeremy Corbyn is the glaring elephant in the room. I don't expect Curtis to be particularly sympathetic to Corbyn's politics but to not even acknowledge him, even dismissively, is odd.

Quote from: https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/12/06/the-antidote-to-civilisational-collapseMr Curtis: The opposite of stability is a politics of imagination. There is a yearning that there must be something more than the repetition we hear every day that "if you like this you'll like that". I think it's coming but I take your point, you are right, there is fear of that. But the job of a good politician is to say, "Yes, I understand your fears but look, it's not right and we can do better than this". I'm waiting for a politician on the left to come along and say that. So far, I haven't seen one. Have you?

The Economist: No.