Movie Review: Expelled
QOTD
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth seeing
Site: www.expelledthemovie.com
This is old Ben Stein's movie about intelligent design and academia's intolerance. I knew that going in and hey, I'm on board that train. The movie reaches way beyond that though.
I enjoyed Stein asking scientists to explain how the first living cell popped out of the goo and watching them struggle and stammer. That's entertainment!
I also thought his emphasis on the loss of academic freedom in our system was excellent as well. He highlighted a number of scientists who have lost their gig due to a mere mention of intelligent design.
I really didn't like all the reaching though. Go:
I will give Ben Stein this leeway... the crackpots on the other side get a full airing and they do the same type of exploitation. Some guy named Dawson wrote "The God Delusion", and boom... he's on every talk show, selling a million copies of the thing. Stein interviews the guy, and he's foaming at the mouth. He's a self-parody. So, I see how Stein feels entitled to use similar tactics, but that doesn't mean I like it.
QOTD2
Alas, I still have reading to do on evolution; this has been on my TODO list forever. I have to read more to cut through the noise. I certainly don't understand how evolution addresses things like irreducible complexity. For example, how the heck does a ladybug get this crazy retractable hardtop and the up and flies off with the thing: Awesome ladybug video
I know bullshit when I hear it though. I agree with a lot of what Stein says, but I didn't like his Michael Moore-esque methods of saying it. You lose credibility with me when you do that.
I hope (gulp) that, in the long-term, reason is a more powerful argument than emotion. I hope.
ladybug... yow, bill
"Anyone? Anyone?"Movie: "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"
- Ben Stein in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth seeing
Site: www.expelledthemovie.com
This is old Ben Stein's movie about intelligent design and academia's intolerance. I knew that going in and hey, I'm on board that train. The movie reaches way beyond that though.
I enjoyed Stein asking scientists to explain how the first living cell popped out of the goo and watching them struggle and stammer. That's entertainment!
I also thought his emphasis on the loss of academic freedom in our system was excellent as well. He highlighted a number of scientists who have lost their gig due to a mere mention of intelligent design.
I really didn't like all the reaching though. Go:
- The ominous "Be Very Frightened" music in the background, ala Frontline or Michael Moore. That sends the bullshit-o-meter right off the charts. I remember a ridiculous PBS/Frontline "documentary" on Cheney where they had this "Halloween 13" music in the background and Cheney is in the dark with the video paused as he's making some menacing facial gesture. Crap!
- Why the hell is the movie so dark? Is that a money thing... they couldn't afford post-production or something?
- Stein ends the movie by extrapolating darwinism to social darwinism to atheism and ultimately to things like nazism and eugenics. I guess, but that's exactly what the other side of the argument can say about religion. The extremes on both sides are horrific, so it's not very compelling argument.
I will give Ben Stein this leeway... the crackpots on the other side get a full airing and they do the same type of exploitation. Some guy named Dawson wrote "The God Delusion", and boom... he's on every talk show, selling a million copies of the thing. Stein interviews the guy, and he's foaming at the mouth. He's a self-parody. So, I see how Stein feels entitled to use similar tactics, but that doesn't mean I like it.
QOTD2
"Anything to belong"Intolerance. Join the herd or pay the consequences. These are dominant themes in academia these days. I'm with Michael Crichton on this one (see his book "State of Fear"). Maybe it always has been... I don't know. The rabid reaction to anything "not evolution" is a carbon copy to today's zealous support of anything global warming. Opposing voices will not be tolerated. Same with politics.
- Marilyn Manson, "Rock is Dead"
Alas, I still have reading to do on evolution; this has been on my TODO list forever. I have to read more to cut through the noise. I certainly don't understand how evolution addresses things like irreducible complexity. For example, how the heck does a ladybug get this crazy retractable hardtop and the up and flies off with the thing: Awesome ladybug video
I know bullshit when I hear it though. I agree with a lot of what Stein says, but I didn't like his Michael Moore-esque methods of saying it. You lose credibility with me when you do that.
I hope (gulp) that, in the long-term, reason is a more powerful argument than emotion. I hope.
ladybug... yow, bill
posted by williamt on Saturday, November 29, 2008
1 Comments:
Hi Bill, I recently saw Expelled as well. Some of it was difficult to follow, I think because of the reaching you're referring to. The guy's name is "Dawkins", not that he merits having his name in print correctly. Unless that is, someone wants a hearty laugh at his inability to explain how we came from the primeordial ooze. Excellent writeup chap ! But I didn't get the Manson quote connection ?
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