# What was wrong with "The Postman"? (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158 "2006-01-09T15:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/21 "2006-01-10T03:43:52Z")
> [@Jess](#): > > Forgot to say – I haven’t read the book. I don’t read much science fiction. Who wrote it? [David Brin](http://www.davidbrin.com/postmansample1.html) Jim ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/22 "2006-01-10T03:47:50Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Retaining enough naptha to light is measured in **days** , not months or years. 😃 Spelling fixed 😃 Also, for what it’s worth, David Brin [liked the movie](http://www.davidbrin.com/postmanmoviearticle.html), overall anyways. ---
**Author:** ![AFAIKnow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@AFAIKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AFAIKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/23 "2006-01-10T04:07:52Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > For that matter, can someone suggest a movie where his character _isn’t_ a detached (or borderline sociopath), deadpan, self-interested, wannabe strong-silent-type? I want to see a range of facial expressions beyond _supercilious glare_ and _offended pout_ (which, to be honest, aren’t all that different from each other when he does them). Silverado ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/24 "2006-01-10T09:32:27Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > For that matter, can someone suggest a movie where his character _isn’t_ a detached (or borderline sociopath), deadpan, self-interested, wannabe strong-silent-type? I want to see a range of facial expressions beyond _supercilious glare_ and _offended pout_ (which, to be honest, aren’t all that different from each other when he does them). The Big Chill. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/25 "2006-01-10T10:12:33Z")
I saw it on video expecting it to be unwatchable and thought it was reasonably interesting. I only saw it because Costner is pretty reliable. Much though he is derided I have seen lots of his movies and only count 4 as duds - _The Bodyguard_, _Message In a Bottle_, _Robin Hood_ and _Bull Durham_ (it’s just me, I know. I hate all the characters and everything about the movie). Of those I would have only expected to enjoy _Bull Durham_ the others were someone elses choice. But he has made plenty I have enjoyed _The Untouchables_, _JFK_, _Dances with Wolves_, _Field of Dreams_, _Open Range_, _Thirteen Days_, _The Upside of Anger_, _No Way Out_, _A Perfect World_ and _Tin Cup_. I have skipped others such as _Waterworld_ and _Dragonfly_. So his average with movies I actually want to see is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/26 "2006-01-10T10:44:40Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > Now that is an interesting experiment… > > I’d almost be tempted to take that one up… even if it means having to watch the damned thing again. > > too bad that may be against copywrite laws so I guess I couldn’t do that. Or could I? > > It does give me an Idea though… hmmmm (to be continued on another thread later) I don’t think there would be any problem if you were to edit your own cut of the movie from existing footage; ther might be legal restrictions on how you _obtain_ that footage and there are certainly legal restrictions on redistributing it, but for your own amusement, what’s the legal difference between editing your own cut and, say, achieving the same result by pressing \ on your DVD remote every now and again? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/27 "2006-01-10T11:22:29Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t think there would be any problem if you were to edit your own cut of the movie from existing footage; ther might be legal restrictions on how you _obtain_ that footage and there are certainly legal restrictions on redistributing it, but for your own amusement, what’s the legal difference between editing your own cut and, say, achieving the same result by pressing \ on your DVD remote every now and again? I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem with the editing itself, but the whole point would be to show others what you’ve done, which would be illegal and certainly not something we could do on these boards. Pity. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/28 "2006-01-10T12:00:04Z")
I was kind of hoping that _The Postman_ would have been given the _re-enacted in 30 seconds, by bunnies_ treatment [here](http://www.angryalien.com/), but alas, not yet. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/29 "2006-01-10T19:35:48Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I was kind of hoping that _The Postman_ would have been given the _re-enacted in 30 seconds, by bunnies_ treatment [here](http://www.angryalien.com/), but alas, not yet. I would love to see a similar treatment given to books as well as movies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/30 "2006-01-10T19:56:50Z")
I hated the band in that movie. What’s up with them? I got this impression that Costner found this mediocre folk band in a nearby bar and decided they should be included in every scene involving Pineview. Just these nice, folksy guitar people, pointlessly hanging out in a post-apocalyptic village that threatens to shoot mailmen at the front gate. And their music sucked. They always just kind of annoyed me, and I figured this thread might be my last chance to express that annoyance, so I’m done. Otherwise, I found the movie watchable but not worth buying the DVD or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/31 "2006-01-11T21:22:01Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Perhaps we should have a thread about how we’d edit movies; what’s the shortest time any of you think you could edit _The Postman_ down into, using existing footage and preserving all of the important elements (and don’t just say there aren’t any). The studio did that already. It’s called “the trailer.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158/32 "2006-01-12T00:23:11Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I would love to see a similar treatment given to books as well as movies. 😃 > **[ShrinkLits: Seventy of the World's Towering Classics Cut Down to Size: Sagoff,...](https://www.amazon.com/ShrinkLits-Seventy-Worlds-Towering-Classics/dp/0894800795)** > > ShrinkLits: Seventy of the World's Towering Classics Cut Down to Size \[Sagoff, Maurice\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. ShrinkLits: Seventy of the World's Towering Classics Cut Down to Size [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-wrong-with-the-postman-spoilers/339158.md?page=1)