i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.
A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
View MoreOne of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
View MoreThe film may be flawed, but its message is not.
I don't usually like TV shows, but I do like this one. The reason I don't like TV shows that are fiction (ex. Fringe, V) is because since their presented through the medium of commercial television; they basically have to have some sort of mass appeal (or it at least should seem to). And regretfully television producers think that the world is made up of not so smart people; and since there are people who are blissfully unaware of what's out there they actually play this part. But this TV show is just one of the programs on the History Channel that actually tries to inform you, while at the same time tries to entertain with surreal background imagery. Some of my favorite episodes show Nostradamus so seemingly drugged, that he looks like he's gonna vomit in that bowl that he's trying to see visions in. And that's how innovative it is; you wouldn't dare see something as surreal as that on Fringe, or V. Those shows make you think you're getting something different, but it's truly all the same. And I realize that there are some people who get turned off by this, but I appreciate being taught a few things by scholars who know what they're talking about (most of the time). And as a side note: if you think you're getting something different on Fringe or V, watch the movies Twelve Monkeys, or L.A. Confidential, and then you'll really see something different (film, much more than television, doesn't hinge on mass appeal). And if you know its different, but still watch shows like that because that's all there is; at some point we have to get mad and refuse to watch it. And that's as simple as that. I realize that I might get blacklisted for going off topic, but at least I took a chance.
View MoreI believe that as the series plays out each episode. Each episode is well rounded and solid. Connecting me, the viewer, back to present day and to the fact that it may have been told previously to us. "The Nostradamus Effect" is a show that makes you think- so use your brain. Have we been warned before? Clearly other academics are telling us that we have been. So the question remains- When will the End begin? And what are YOU going to do when the Earth decides to take back what is hers?I think you show view the remaining episodes to air and make your decision then- and not in haste.A decision made in haste can be a wrong one.
View MoreDid the History Channel really just sensationalize--nay, legitimize--religious doomsday theory? "Hey, look at our dramatic, high dynamic range, increasingly-slowing slomo, computer-with-128GB-of-ram-generated, Roland-Emmerich-worthy disaster footage. Now that we have your attention, guess what: this guy, name-o da Vinci, had a hunch hundreds of years ago that the world would end, and that his idea is related to some of the all-too-relevant prohetic work by this dude with the cool-guy name-o Nostradamus. We think we're onto something. Behold: the even more cool-sounding 'Nostradamus Effect.' " Weak.Included in the introduction is the disclaimer that the History Channel neither affirms nor discredits the notion of prophecy (comforting, isn't it?), but only gives evidence procured by conspiracy theorists and religious nuts. It's insulting to my intelligence, and serves as an unfortunate reminder that all media--even respected sources--are under pressure to conform to standards set by the lowest common denominator.In the book Fark, by Drew Curtis, in which all media sources are cleverly categorized, this would most likely be filed under the header, "Too much time for nutjobs."
View MoreThe Nostradamus effect is undeniably real - it reveals itself in the propensity of TV producers and (alas) a few obscure academics to turn into blithering idiots whenever the name of Nostradamus or another "prophet" is mentioned. In the episode about Leonardo's "prophecies" the narrator states that the program will attempt neither to refute nor to confirm them: "we will merely present the evidence". The evidence then follows, consisting primarily of rank speculation. The word "perhaps" is the star of the show, with a strong supporting cast of "might" and "could it be that....?". "Many believe" one theory, and "some believe" another, without ever being named, let alone put on screen to confirm their beliefs.What such preposterous drivel is doing on the History Channel is a mystery. Perhaps SciFi turned it down as too far-fetched.One out of ten for some mildly interesting historical detail.
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