Great quote from Roger Ebert's review of Atlas Shrugged: ""I’m on board; pull up the lifeline."

[white_wolf]

That was his description of Objectvisim. Oh, and here is a quote about the movie itself: "And now I am faced with this movie, the most anticlimactic non-event since Geraldo Rivera broke into Al Capone’s vault." Oh and here is the link to the review: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110414/REVIEWS/110419990

[Paradoxical]

1. I got 10 pages into the book and had to stop.

[hlthe2b]

3. You undoubtedly get the "paradox" that the RWers refuse to see

I just "love" how all these so-called RW "Christians" throw out the "do unto others...." for the "I've got mine, F__k you!" in true Ayn Randian fashion.

[white_wolf]

4. Not to mention she was a hardcore atheist.

[Marr]

10. You know what drove me crazy about that book?

Her reasoning is so glaringly flawed. This is basically her argument for proving her surprising claim that altruism is evil:

'Begin with the assumption that altruism is evil. Therefore, altruism is evil'.

Then she says that humanity has been living unnaturally since the beginnings of society, and nature demands the individual look out only for themselves. She says that any organism that does not follow this truism would soon go extinct. But HERE WE FUCKING ARE, not going extinct. If you accept her first claim, the second makes no sense. She must've been high all the time.

[JDPriestly]

26. And so, an infant abandoned at birth, never enjoying the mother's breast or care

will, of course, survive to be a titan of industry -- in Ayn Rand's imaginary world.

[JDPriestly]

25. I read everything I could find by Ayn Rand. Fortunately, I outgrew her.

[hifiguy]

33. So did I

Read a ton of her stuff after seeing her on the Tom Snyder show more than 30 years ago. I was at first intrigued, then skeptical, then revolted. Read all of The Fountainhead, which I found to be a mediocre potboiler based on a somewhat intriguing premise, and a bunch of the smaller works. "On the Virtue of Selfishness" nearly turned my stomach and I only managed to get through 300 or so of the atrociously typed (one can hardly call it "written") Fatlas Sharted (tip o' the hat to DUer HughBeaumont for that gem) before flinging aside with great force. That has to be one of the ten worst books in the history of printing.

Ayn Rand was a walking moral abomination.

[elehhhhna]

34. one of the ten worst books in the history of printing.

lol you rock! Welcome to DU!

[hifiguy]

35. Thanks, but I am not a newbie

Been here under various monikers since '05. Lost passwords, defunct e-mail addresses cost me my first 5K+ posts but I am back to stay. :)

[themadstork]

28. I read the whole goddam thing.

One of the worst experiences of my life. Sad that her ideology has elevated such a horrific writer.

[hlthe2b]

2. Ahh, bless Roger Ebert. He's a national treasure...

:cheers: to your continued recovery and health, Mr. Ebert.

[chollybocker]

5. I've read nothing but scathing reviews so far.

And the director has cast himself as John Galt. :eyes:

This movie will hopefully sound the death knell for Randism.

[tabatha]

6. That review was priceless.

"Frequently throughout the film, characters repeat the phrase, "Who is John Galt?" Well they might ask. A man in black, always shot in shadow, is apparently John Galt. If you want to get a good look at him and find out why everybody is asking, I hope you can find out in Part 2. I don’t think you can hold out for Part 3."

:rofl:

[Hugabear]

7. Don't forget this gem

"Oh, and there is Wisconsin. Dagny and Hank ride blissfully in Taggart’s new high-speed train, and then Hank suggests they take a trip to Wisconsin, where the state’s policies caused the suppression of an engine that runs on the ozone in the air, or something (the film’s detailed explanation won’t clear this up). They decide to drive there. That’s when you’ll enjoy the beautiful landscape photography of the deserts of Wisconsin. My advice to the filmmakers: If you want to use a desert, why not just refer to Wisconsin as "New Mexico"?"

[Shiver]

16. Ah, the Wisconsin deserts...

I remember when my parents used to take me to them... :rofl:

[sarge43]

31. Don't forget the palm trees at the one desert oasis n/t

[catabryna]

8. There is so much I could say, but I won't....

There is someone who might read this, and that person will know exactly what I mean...

Hi Steve! lol!

[Puzzler]

9. The moral of the story: invest in high-speed rail!

Um... or not.

[fairfaxvadem]

11. and don't forget this gratuitous little snap....hilarious!!!

"There is also a love scene, which is shown not merely from the waist up but from the ears up. The man keeps his shirt on. This may be disappointing for libertarians, who I believe enjoy rumpy-pumpy as much as anyone."

Gosh, I love Roger.

[wtmusic]

12. Hard to turn a crappy book into a good movie.

Can't think of one example, actually.

Lots of examples of the opposite.

[Zanzoobar]

14. Forrest Gump.

[wtmusic]

17. Yep, good one.

Was the book crappy? I know quite a bit was changed.

[Zanzoobar]

19. Ya gotta read it.

If I remember correctly, he was fired into space with a monkey and some other subjects. I think they landed back on earth and didn't know where they were. Yes, like Planet of the Apes.

I remember I thought the book wasn't worth the time I wasted on it and was pretty surprised when the movie came out.

[wtmusic]

20. The movie would have been a wash without Tom Hanks, IMO. nt

[MnFats]

24. Newt Gingrich said it was his favorite movie...

look closely............all of the left leaning characters are selfish and shallow, while the right-leaning characters are those of high integrity and stout moral fiber...

the leader of the anti-war hippies, for example, espouses peace but is wretchedly violent toward his (Forrest') girlfriend.....

[wtmusic]

32. I'll disagree

It's generally anti-war and sympathetic to the plight of an AIDS victim. IMO mostly neutral.

Don't make me agree with Newt on anything besides this movie and global warming, or it will provoke a gag reflex.

[themadstork]

29. The shining

[Johonny]

36. Lady From Shanghi

Orson Wells said he'd turn into movie before reading it. Book sucks, great movie even after studio edit it.

[pokerfan]

13. According to rottentomatoes.com

with thirteen reviews in, it's batting a perfect 0%.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/atlas_shrugged_part_i

Some excerpts...

Don't hold your breath for parts 2 and 3. - Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

A low-budget film with more than a whiff of amateurism in its writing and direction. - Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Sitting through this picture is like watching early rehearsals of a stage play that's clearly doomed. - Kurt Loder, Reason Online

Atlas Shrugged. I arched eyebrow, scrunched forehead, yawned. - Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

About to lose his long-held rights to Ayn Rand's novel, and perhaps to cash in on apparent Tea Party interest and support, producer John Aglialoro ... rushed this film into a low-budget production and it shows in every frame. - Loren King, Boston Globe

The acting is so poor and the story so badly told that the viewer's feelings about Rand's novel -- an epic ode to free-market fundamentalism -- are almost immaterial (though if you're a devoted fan, you'll perhaps be more forgiving). - Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

[tabatha]

22. LOL

Atlas Shrugged. I arched eyebrow, scrunched forehead, yawned. - Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

:rofl:

[Poll_Blind]

15. LOL, badass review!

:thumbsup:

PB

[freshwest]

18. Did the Koch Brothers front the production of this ode to psychopaths in business suits?

[Keith Bee]

21. Aynal-retentive people

Boring.

[tabatha]

23. That's very good.

Aynal-retentive

[Lorien]

27. Lol, not one positive review from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/atlas_shrugged_part_i/

Though the Freepers have been hitting it hard.

[themadstork]

30. One of the commenters on one of the reviews a few days ago

said he preferred AS over Moby Dick and Huckleberry Finn. At first I thought he was joking. And then I wept.