4 ms·

I feel like the problem with Adam Curtis' work is... well, Adam Curtis. It's very easy to dismiss his entire body of work as "conspiracy theory", because he onl

by kough 10y ago

I feel like the problem with Adam Curtis' work is... well, Adam Curtis. It's very easy to dismiss his entire body of work as "conspiracy theory", because he only writes about these sorts of topics. And it does him and his work a disservice, because of course there is a lot of truth in what he writes and produces. As with anything, there is also a lot of unsubstantiated narrative, but for anyone who's on the fence I would highly recommend watching Bitter Lake. Even if you think Curtis is a crank, the film is beautiful and the score is fantastic (Burial, Four Tet, etc.) and you might find some of the facts interesting.

basch 10y ago
I really like Adam Curtis from an entertainment perspective (similar to charlie brooker/blackmirror), he feels like real life twilight zone. If people haven't read Adam Curtis's THEN NOW, it's well worth the time - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/78691781-c9b7-30a0-9a0a-3ff76e8bfe58 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/78691781-c9b7-... "HAPPIDROME - Part One" is great too - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/5a7b18b5-0ec3-3d3e-a307-54820a7c6a59 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/5a7b18b5-0ec3-... His conspiracy theories remind me more of Alan Moore's definition. "Yes, there is a conspiracy, indeed there are a great number of conspiracies, all tripping each other up ... the main thing that I learned about conspiracy theories is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in the conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy, or the grey aliens, or the twelve-foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control, the truth is far more frightening; no-one is in control, the world is rudderless."
clay_to_n 10y ago
I agree. I highly recommend Bitter Lake, because it's mostly history. But the ending and the "thesis" (as I interpreted it) isn't quite convincing for me.

by kough 10y ago

basch 10y ago

I really like Adam Curtis from an entertainment perspective (similar to charlie brooker/blackmirror), he feels like real life twilight zone. If people haven't read Adam Curtis's THEN NOW, it's well worth the time - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/78691781-c9b7-30a0-9a0a-3ff76e8bfe58 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/78691781-c9b7-... "HAPPIDROME - Part One" is great too - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/5a7b18b5-0ec3-3d3e-a307-54820a7c6a59 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/5a7b18b5-0ec3-... His conspiracy theories remind me more of Alan Moore's definition. "Yes, there is a conspiracy, indeed there are a great number of conspiracies, all tripping each other up ... the main thing that I learned about conspiracy theories is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in the conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy, or the grey aliens, or the twelve-foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control, the truth is far more frightening; no-one is in control, the world is rudderless."

clay_to_n 10y ago

I agree. I highly recommend Bitter Lake, because it's mostly history. But the ending and the "thesis" (as I interpreted it) isn't quite convincing for me.