# Miss the point of a book, movie or play **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370 "2017-01-28T05:42:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/1 "2017-01-28T05:42:24Z")
Give a snippet of a review that misses the point of a book, movie or play. “I really can’t give a fair review of this show, because the actress playing Mrs. Malaprop blew so many of her lines, I found it a complete distraction from the story.” “_Tess of the D’Urbervilles_ is a real downer. I don’t know how Hardy thinks he can hold an audience.” “Unfortunately, the last page of my copy of ‘The Lady or the Tiger’ was missing.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/2 "2017-01-28T09:17:31Z")
_The Divine Comedy_ isn’t very funny. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/3 "2017-01-28T12:08:09Z")
I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Godot. Did Mr. Beckett die before writing the last act? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/4 "2017-01-28T12:50:22Z")
I can’t disagree with the moral of the story, but did we really need two full hours on that weirdly specific cautionary tale? I mean, okay, fine: _if you’re ever at a point in your life where you’re gunning down a couple of innocents in some godforsaken alley, make sure to murder the kid who helplessly watched you do it, or else he may grow up to kill you right back while dressed up as a bat_; I thought that was understood. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/5 "2017-01-28T13:03:23Z")
The movie made it clear to me that Gandhi had a diaper fetish and an eating disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/6 "2017-01-28T13:43:21Z")
How can they call it _The Avengers_ without John Steed and Emma Peel? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/7 "2017-01-28T14:06:14Z")
_1984_ gets the history completely wrong. And of course the all-purpose example of this, which is applied to everything: “That trivial part of the movie/book/show is not realistic, so the entire work fails.” ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/8 "2017-01-28T14:15:44Z")
_Charlotte’s Web_ is a cautionary tale that demonstrates how insufficient pest control can result in reduced farm output. _1984_ tells the heartwarming story of a disgruntled citizen’s path to patriotism and enlightenment. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/9 "2017-01-28T14:26:29Z")
_A Christmas Carol_ illustrates how temporary dementia can transform a staunch capitalist into a simpering idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/10 "2017-01-28T14:33:36Z")
_Rashomon_ fails as a murder mystery due to numerous continuity errors. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/11 "2017-01-28T15:15:27Z")
_The Phantom of the Opera_ shows girls are totally into looks and social standing, and will take a wealthy, titled man over a disfigured talented one. _CATS_ is a blatant rip off of the MEOW Mix commercial, suggesting that cats can dance and sing. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/12 "2017-01-28T16:46:16Z")
Newsies, the musical: A cautionary tragedy about a benevolent job creator who tries to help his beloved employees learn economics and self-sufficiency with a tiny increase in the cost of their supplies. His efforts are thwarted by an ungrateful mob of churlish youths who insist on socialistic handouts to keep the ignorant status quo.The worst part? This benevolent leader of men is forced to -_gasp_ _shudder_ - compromise with this ingrates by settling on a smaller increase in the price of newspapers. Oh, the horror! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/13 "2017-01-28T17:34:49Z")
_The Martian_ is the story of one man’s fascination with human excrement. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/14 "2017-01-28T18:45:44Z")
Shubert’s Unfinished Symphony. Oh, good, unfinished. This shouldn’t take long. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/15 "2017-01-28T19:38:54Z")
Naked Lunch. I can think of at least two things wrong with that title. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/16 "2017-01-28T20:31:02Z")
John Hurt looks nothing like an elephant, man, especially with the mask on. Let Michael Jackson have the skeleton. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/17 "2017-01-28T21:01:02Z")
False advertising–Richard Dreyfus was okay, and the music wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t one damn penguin in the whole movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/18 "2017-01-28T21:04:26Z")
“Why don’t they call it _Planet_ Trek? You never go to a star. Not one episode.” ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/19 "2017-01-28T23:18:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “Why don’t they call it _Planet_ Trek? You never go to a star. Not one episode.” And really, when it was made, none of the principal actors could really be called “stars” – just a few guest shots on _Twilight Zone_ episodes and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370/20 "2017-01-29T01:01:21Z")
“I come to you to speak of a testament to the Will to Power, the crazed prophet who brought the fire of the gods to the oppressed, and, with his very being, transformed reality into a wonderland of his own making! I speak of the lowly brought high, and the high proven fools in their own domain! I speak of the very tome of the _Übermensch_! I speak of _The Cat in the Hat_!” “Well, that was an odd game show. The contestants were entertaining enough, but there wasn’t a score board and they couldn’t even keep track of whose line it was.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-the-point-of-a-book-movie-or-play/778370.md?page=2)