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Thursday, December 5, 2013

On The Subject Of Greatness.

FIRST OFF A CORRECTION TO THE FIREFLY POST. FIREFLY WAS 98TH IN NIELSON RATINGS, NOT 125TH AS I HAD CLAIMED. I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS ERROR.

Alo Party Peoples.


I reserve the term "great" for the best of the best. For the truly remarkable or well executed. I don't hand it out lightly.

For example, Avengers was a good movie, many called it great, but it isn't quite the best in the superhero sub genre. The Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole on the other hand, was an achievement, bringing shared universe genre defying comic book continuity to the big screen (and small screen) successfully, and having eight out of eight films be good, and be profitable, that is great.

See also, the Harry Potter films. As individual films they can vary in quality, but the series as a whole is really good. It's impressive that all eight films were profitable, and that they were able to pull it off even though they started the films before the books were even finished. They didn't know if the books would  remain popular enough to justify films, or if they would even remain good. They kept the same cast together for a decade. Even when they lost Richard Harris, they continued on and found Michael Gambon to play Dumbledore. That they didn't even let mortality stop them in making these films, that is determination, and it resulted in something great. Not as great as the books, but still worthwhile on their own.

Things are great when they overcome the odds and become greater than the sum of their parts. Here are some works I consider great.

- The Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Harry Potter (films as a whole and the books)
- Lord Of The Rings* (films)
- Batman Begins and The Dark Knight
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Doctor Who
- The Slender Man Mythos**
- Firefly and Serenity
- Pleasantville
- Life of Pi (book and film)
- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
- Across The Universe by Beth Revis
 

Have a nice day.

Greg.B



*They teach college classes on Tolkien's work. That doesn't happen unless you've made something worthwhile.

**I don't like it, but I respect it.

This Post Is Dedicated To Nelson Mandela. 1918-2013 May He Rest In Peace.












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