Vernon, Florida

This feels like a better verson of Agnes Varda's Daguerréotypes; a bunch of random clips of people talking nonsense, but this time, some of it is almost interesting and a couple of times it was funny. I don't give half a shit about turkey hunting, the meaning of "therefore", or anything else these people are talking about, but a few of the people are likable enough that you don't really mind listening to them. Now, I'm not sure why Morris chose these people and these clips, but they didn't do anything for me. At least with Daguerréotypes, you get a kind of time capsule; Vernon, Florida is certainly less boring, but I still found it quite boring. I always used to say that there is nothing more fun than listening to someone talk about what they're passionate about. I have to make an amendum to that; I do not want to hear about how you were about to shit your pants until you heard a turkey gobble and now you own the feet and ten inch beard of that turkey. No more turkey stories please.

This feels like a better verson of Agnes Varda's Daguerréotypes; a bunch of random clips of people talking nonsense, but this time, some of it is almost interesting and a couple of times it was funny. I don't give half a shit about turkey hunting, the meaning of "therefore", or anything else these people are talking about, but a few of the people are likable enough that you don't really mind listening to them. Now, I'm not sure why Morris chose these people and these clips, but they didn't do anything for me. At least with Daguerréotypes, you get a kind of time capsule; Vernon, Florida is certainly less boring, but I still found it quite boring. I always used to say that there is nothing more fun than listening to someone talk about what they're passionate about. I have to make an amendum to that; I do not want to hear about how you were about to shit your pants until you heard a turkey gobble and now you own the feet and ten inch beard of that turkey. No more turkey stories please.

Therefore,

Therefore,

Funny, well-done, I liked the shots: but meanspirited also, cowardly at times, dislikable and arrogant....

I guess I bristle at some of the implied tone of the shots with God talk in them, but weren't they actually somewhat beautiful and moving? But then the pastor's rambling sermon was so funny, I want to quote and memorize it.... (It's very ambivalent!) Maybe I'm projecting, and the arrogant one, and these slow-talking difficult-to-understand old people from the rural South--who sound dumb, if I wasn't explicit enough--: maybe we're not just supposed to laugh at them, but what else were we to do? It's not that their dignity was being depicted (although wasn't it a little bit? Because what they weren't saying wasn't fully incoherent, it had its flashes: most of all it was unselfconscious, which is actually enviable). Maybe I'm projecting the part of my reaction that I'm ashamed of onto Morris, but I don't think so.... (Apparently everyone else thinks so....)

So many are quick to judge on the basis of articulacy: but it's not everything, in fact it's overrated: I feel defensive of these depicted people.

How hard could it be to wander into a small Southern town & film a lot & end up with some people sounding silly? And how easy to depict them without comment, without risking saying anything of your own, for the viewer to judge in turn.... (In light of the background of the production of this film it feels ironic that I would call Morris "cowardly"....)

Funny, well-done, I liked the shots: but meanspirited also, cowardly at times, dislikable and arrogant....

I guess I bristle at some of the implied tone of the shots with God talk in them, but weren't they actually somewhat beautiful and moving? But then the pastor's rambling sermon was so funny, I want to quote and memorize it.... (It's very ambivalent!) Maybe I'm projecting, and the arrogant one, and these slow-talking difficult-to-understand old people from the rural South--who sound dumb, if I wasn't explicit enough--: maybe we're not just supposed to laugh at them, but what else were we to do? It's not that their dignity was being depicted (although wasn't it a little bit? Because what they weren't saying wasn't fully incoherent, it had its flashes: most of all it was unselfconscious, which is actually enviable). Maybe I'm projecting the part of my reaction that I'm ashamed of onto Morris, but I don't think so.... (Apparently everyone else thinks so....)

So many are quick to judge on the basis of articulacy: but it's not everything, in fact it's overrated: I feel defensive of these depicted people.

How hard could it be to wander into a small Southern town & film a lot & end up with some people sounding silly? And how easy to depict them without comment, without risking saying anything of your own, for the viewer to judge in turn.... (In light of the background of the production of this film it feels ironic that I would call Morris "cowardly"....)

The three friends debating what the best method of shooting yourself with a rifle is >>>>

The three friends debating what the best method of shooting yourself with a rifle is >>>>

I can see very clearly how Christopher Guessed

I can see very clearly how Christopher Guessed