Film wouldn’t be the same without controversy. Ever since movies have become mainstream in our culture, people have argued and debated over what movies are good or bad. Whether that be over the dinner table, on Reddit, or on Letterboxd, it’s a way to bring people together but also a way to tear people apart. One may have an opinion that seems completely outrageous to another; someone may say something oppositional just to get a rise out of someone. These are the opinions we like to hear, and so, who better to ask for these stances than teachers?
The first and obvious choice to ask about a subject like this was Adam Souza, one of the teachers for Franklin Film School. Having a background in film and going to film school, Souza is a highly opinionated teacher, especially when it comes to movies. The hot take that Souza addressed was about the movie “Old,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in 2021. This film received a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.8 out of 10 on IMDb, but aside from those ratings, Souza enjoyed the film. Not only did Souza like it, he claimed that it is “one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best films,” which in the grand scheme of Shyamalan’s filmography, is surprising.
“I think that M. Night Shyamalan became self-aware and realized that he could never make anything as good as his first three or four films, and decided to undertake the worst film possible — and he totally achieved that,” said Souza. “It’s actually so bad, that it’s so good, that it’s on par with ‘The Room,’” Souza added. The film is what it’s meant to be, and because of that, Souza liked it. “It was a wonderful, joyful ride. The movie was amazing. I was never bored. I just thought, ‘This is a great piece of cinematic work,’” Souza exclaimed.
Another hot take was from Matt Ray, a paraeducator here at Franklin. Instead of discussing a specific film, Ray described his conflicting feelings about the renowned filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick. “Style over substance,” said Ray. Specifically, he used “2001: A Space Odyssey,” one of Kubrick’s earliest films, as an example. “Very visually cool, definitely [made] for its time … but like, can you tell me what that movie is about? Because I have no idea what it’s about, and I’ve seen it a couple times,” Ray remarked. Ray acknowledged Kubrick’s artistry and style but thinks he lacks a “coherent narrative.” Ultimately, Ray admitted that he isn’t as well versed in Kubrick’s filmography as he could be. He said that if he were to watch the rest of Kubrick’s films then he could possibly be persuaded in another direction, but for now, he’s not convinced.
The next opinion attacks Disney movie remakes; this hot take belongs to Alyssa Potasznik, a special education teacher here at Franklin. She believes that the Disney live-action remakes are “hot garbage.” Potasznik said she remembers how good the originals were — she would much rather just watch those than a worse version. “I watched the first 10 minutes of the ‘Aladdin’ live action, and we turned it off,” Potasznik recalled. While there are a lot of diehard Disney fans who will defend Disney movies no matter what, the remakes aren’t what Potasznik is looking for because she believes they’re driven by money and not originality. This is an opinion that Potasznik claimed she will take to the grave.
The last teacher who gave their controversial opinion was Greg Garcia, one of Franklin’s AP U.S. History and AP Psychology teachers. Garcia, being an avid fan of science fiction such as “Back to the Future” and “Star Trek,” had some critical thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” the 2014 Oscar-winning film. He specifically pointed out how he found the film to be predictable. “I was able to call the plot twist right within the first 30 seconds of the movie,” said Garcia.
He also mentioned how he disliked that the film mixes love and science. “If you’re trying to make a universe or a science-fiction story that’s based on hard science and then the solution at the end is love, it kind of undermines the quote-unquote hard sci-fi motif of that movie,” Garcia claimed. Another criticism that came up was Nolan’s commonly well-regarded sound-mixing abilities. “I despise them. … While it is atmospheric, it impedes my ability to hear,” said Garcia. Despite “Interstellar,” Garcia explained that he actually generally enjoys Nolan’s films, which was another reason why “Interstellar” was so disappointing to him.
Ultimately, it will always be impossible to agree with everyone. Still, it’s important to hear others out and to also speak your own truth — not with the goal of changing others’ minds, but in hopes of them opening back up to you. That’s how we socialize. Maybe these opinions you read felt outrageous or maybe you felt heard; either way, it’s good! Giving these opinions a chance through engaged discussion is how better film is produced and how meaningful connections are made.
