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My opinion dissents from the majority of Newgrounds once again in that I didn't find :the Composer: (2007) profoundly emotional; in fact, I laughed out loud several times when watching it. I found it hilariously trite, and the fact that reviewers were saying it made them cry made it all the funnier. Then, just a few minutes ago, I watched Broken Things (2006), and suddenly :the Composer: became more frustrating than funny.

Broken Things Trailer:

Full short film:

Not that I liked Broken Things that much either. It's always a bad sign to me when I can tell exactly what type of music will be used when I see the preview image. The plot is the standard sort of thing I watched multiple variations upon over the years in music class. They did a good job casting the children and there weren't any particularly egregious shots, but that's about all I can give it. My opinion dissents from the majority once again in this regard, though; apparently it won multiple awards and garnered porkloads of critical accolades.

Does this make me a film snob?

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The People Have Spoken

13 Comments

Jun. 1, 2009 | 1:49 PM JonBro says:

I thought :the Composer: was a touching Flash...
Though I'm curious, what parts of it did you laugh at?

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:08 PM NAveryW responds:

I don't remember the specifics, but there wasn't anything original about it. Something that might be touching the first five or six times I've seen it completely loses its impact by the seventh time, and by the eighth time, it's just a humorous mockery of what was once poignant.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 1:57 PM JakBaronKing says:

To laugh at tragedy is often a trait of a sadist.

Unless of course it was comically presented.

But Jazza told me that flash was based upon some emotional events in his life. I certainly didn't laugh at it.

I was quite touched.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:12 PM NAveryW responds:

Think of it this way: one commonly used cliche involves a character dying as he tries to accomplish a goal and being told by a friend that the goal was accomplished. The goal wasn't accomplished, but the friend is telling him it was so he can die happy. That was poignant the first few times I saw it, but eventually it just got annoying. It's not original anymore and it hasn't been for years and years. There's nothing wrong with an artist trying to manipulate the viewers' feelings, but he should at least have the courtesy not to plagiarize better works to do so. Otherwise the earlier and better works lose their impact due to the copycats.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 2:03 PM max15946 says:

i just watched :the composer: i liked it

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:12 PM NAveryW responds:

Excellent. Now watch Broken Things.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 2:19 PM Dj-Flux says:

I think you're still just a kid who wants to be different.

Maybe you just can't feel emotion through film, which is understandable, but of all things, you laughed?

You're a pathetic creature.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:17 PM NAveryW responds:

Oh, I can certainly feel emotion through film; generally more than I'm probably "supposed to". I cannot, however, get emotional over something I've seen done better countless times before. Anything that is done enough times loses its impact.

Do you still get excited when you see a character leap across a gap in slow motion? Do you still think it's artful symbolism when you see a character die in a position that resembles crucifiction? If so, you either haven't watched enough movies or lack of creativity doesn't bother you.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 2:28 PM skarai says:

Music is where the heart is at.
Music is where the heart is at.
Music is where the heart is at.
You're a pathetic creature.
You're a pathetic creature.
You're a pathetic creature.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:05 PM Monkeyshizznick says:

Scorponok by Michael Jorns should solve this delima.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:39 PM cantflyman says:

I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU'RE OPINION SO THEREFORE YOU'RE A TERRIBLE PERSON

Jun. 1, 2009 | 3:49 PM NAveryW responds:

I'm a pathetic creature.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 4:42 PM MrAbnormal says:

Because you said something that i disagree with your opinion is invalid and you are a sadistic creature and i hate you because because i bawled during the composer and my mommy told me that i was okay and then my dad raped me.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 8:07 PM NAveryW responds:

Sounds like you've lived a pretty emotional life. You should make a Flash about it! Be sure to use classical music and make sure everyone's crying and everyone will love it.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 5:14 PM exotworking says:

I hated the composer from the first minute I saw it. Truly. These are the kind of movies I was sick of when I was a child and still I hate those pathetic, hollywood-like cliche films. One of the most emotional films I ever watched is lost in translation, a movie which luckily didn´t use any of those common tearjerker elements.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 5:57 PM Z3pp0 says:

Your point is well taken, you pathetic creature.
From time to time I return to "The Composer" just to see what kind of reviews have been left. First thing I see is usually "How beautiful... " or "Truly outstanding."
As a result, it seems that the same NG audience celebrating cock jokes, hentai galleries and fecal humour (which would be an audience you'd think would at least realize what's not right about Hollywood b-shit) is unable to see through cheap cliche setups and fake emotional depiction. "The Composer" will forever have its place in NG's top 50.
The broad masses will keep running to the theaters, watching Hollywood crap custom made for them and voting 5 on Jazza's thing.
Which, of course, is still well animated and has very good music, but we all know that's not what it's about.
There's a Flash on here, illustrating what one whould feel while watching "The Composer".
I'm talking about tWHYlight from RobertRob, showing a similar situation, lots of folks falling to the fake and among them one who always screams something like: "DON'T YOU SEE WHAT THIS IS!? GWAAAAAAHHH!!!!"
All that makes me sad. Which pretty much is what "The Composer" was going for.

Jun. 1, 2009 | 7:56 PM Kyaztro says:

I agree with you, but then again you're comparing the composer to actual

movies, and not the shit here on the internet. When reviewing a video game

parody on NG you'll often say you were "Rolling on the floor laughing your ass

off" when in fact you barely even smiled once. When reviewing the composer

you might as well say you almost cried to make the author feel like he truly

made something worthwhile as opposed to " I was stone faced the entire time,

and forgot about it ten minutes later" (double spaced cus I felt like it)

Jun. 1, 2009 | 8:19 PM NAveryW responds:

Double spacing on the internet... classy! I like your style! (^3^)

I think that a short film is a short film and don't believe in lowering standards because something was made independently and not by a company, at least when it comes to things that a budget isn't required for. :the Composer: was certainly well made in terms of the technical aspects, but the most important thing about a short film, especially an independent short film, is the idea that it conveys.

The difference between the laughing and crying is that "ROFLMAO" is an expression that has been used so much people no longer use it to mean what it's supposed to (similar to the slang usage of the word "epic"), but saying something made you cry hasn't entered hyperbolic vernacular (at least, as far as I know...) From my experience, teenage males, Newgrounds' primary traffic, generally also have a reluctance to admit that something made them cry.

It is still quite possible reviewers lied about crying, but it's rather hard for me to imagine someone saying a Flash cartoon made him cry when it didn't.

Updated: Jun. 1, 2009, 8:20 PM

Jun. 1, 2009 | 8:44 PM AriaSuperior says:

I know what you mean, I thought :The Composer: was totally gay.
I haven't watched Broken Things, and I won't, for the same reason.

Jun. 2, 2009 | 1:29 PM Lucster says:

I didn't feel any emotion from it , but the humourous bits were probably him with his dad.

Its true I have seen so many films like this. -groan-