# Who here has heard of the film "Network"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080 "2015-09-05T21:25:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/1 "2015-09-05T21:25:47Z")
A couple months ago I watched _[Network](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/)_ for the first time, and it immediately became one of my favourite films. For those who aren’t familiar with it, this is a 1976 drama/satire about Howard Beale, the evening news anchorman of a major American TV network. Beale starts behaving erratically on-air, first threatening to commit suicide on live television and later making a frank on-camera admission that TV news is full of “bullshit”. The network executives initially plan on firing him, but after noticing the effect his rants had on the show’s ratings, they egg him on and eventually give him his own talk show with a live studio audience. Beale uses his top-rated show as a pulpit for criticizing the network, television in general, and the wider socio-economic system in which they operate. Though the film is almost 40 years old, I won’t spoil the ending here because I suspect that, like me, many people who would enjoy watching it haven’t seen it yet, or may not even have been aware of its existence before now. Which actually brings me to the purpose of this thread, or at least the poll attached to it—I’m curious to know how many Dopers born after the release of this film have heard about it or seen it. I gather this film was big news back when it was released; it was widely savaged by those working in television news (who considered it an attack on their very industry) but it went on to receive ten Academy Award nominations, winning four. Myself, I’d never heard of the film until coming across it quite by accident this summer, and after polling my twenty- and thirtysomething friends and colleagues, found that none of them had heard of it either. I’d like to believe that this could be explained away as an unfortunate anomaly, and that this very important and still-relevant film is still very much in the public consciousness. I guess we’ll see what the poll results tell us. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/2 "2015-09-05T21:27:33Z")
The first time I watched it in the '90s, it was satire. Now, I recognize it as a completely accurate portrayal of TV news media. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/3 "2015-09-05T21:33:10Z")
I wonder how many people who haven’t seen or heard of the movie would recognize the phrase “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” (Born before 1976, have seen the movie, although it’s been a few years.) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/4 "2015-09-05T21:34:50Z")
That’s all I can stands and I can’t stands no more! Wait. That was something else. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/5 "2015-09-05T21:37:46Z")
Born 77. I have heard of it. I may or may not have seen it. It was on heavy rotation on First Choice back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/6 "2015-09-05T21:49:45Z")
I’m mad as hell and I’m not taking it anymore! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/7 "2015-09-05T21:51:28Z")
I was in high school when the film came out. It was a really big deal in the media, and lots of people were talking about it, especially around Academy Award time. You couldn’t have missed knowing about it in those days unless you lived in a cave. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/8 "2015-09-05T21:59:21Z")
[I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this any more!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao3FuGEGcU8) “Son of a bitch! We struck the mother lode!” ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/9 "2015-09-05T22:01:32Z")
I saw it as a young teen, and was quite affected by it. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/10 "2015-09-05T22:21:15Z")
I watched it in college few years back, with William Holden and Faye Dunaway. Born way after 1977. Good film overall. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/11 "2015-09-05T22:26:17Z")
I know the phrase and I know I did see bits of the movie long ago on television, but I haven’t watched it as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/12 "2015-09-05T23:22:53Z")
I not only have heard of it, I own a copy. Excellent film. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/13 "2015-09-05T23:25:07Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I watched it in college few years back, with William Holden and Faye Dunaway. Born way after 1977. Good film overall. You went to college with William Holden and Faye Dunaway after they made _Network_? Dang, those two are overachievers, eh. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/14 "2015-09-06T00:06:19Z")
Sonuvagun. I was born pre-1970, and I always thought that was a Deniro quote! But then, I am infamously ignorant of popular culture. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/15 "2015-09-06T00:25:10Z")
I voted as “seen it”, but I’m not sure I’ve actually sat down and watched it straight through beginning the end. I’ve seen it in bits and pieces over the years, enough to be quite familiar with it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/16 "2015-09-06T00:26:14Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > I watched it in college few years back, with William Holden and Faye Dunaway. No kidding? Did you sit between them? (joke stolen from _Cheers_) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/17 "2015-09-06T00:33:01Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I wonder how many people who haven’t seen or heard of the movie would recognize the phrase “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” That’s one rendition, but if you watch the scene, Howard Beale repeatedly calls for viewers to yell “I’m _as_ mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take _this_ any more.” [/pedant] ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/18 "2015-09-06T00:35:29Z")
Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won’t say anything. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/19 "2015-09-06T01:23:40Z")
All I know is first you have got to get mad. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080/20 "2015-09-06T01:48:00Z")
Peter Finch, who played Howard Beale, is the only actor to have had the Best Actor Oscar awarded posthumously. When I saw the movie back then it was shocking, TV would never be like that! Boy was I wrong. One thing I could never figure out. At the Oscars the film’s dirctor was called to accept his statue. Dude goes up with a sullen expression on his face and says he doesn’t know why _ **HE** _ has to do this, as he believes Finch’s widow, who was present, should have been asked to accept. So it’s live TV, not a lot they can do to stop him and he calls the widow out of the audience to come get the Oscar. She seems like a nice lady, a little teary eyed but not bad. This was 1977, was race the issue? The widow was black. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-has-heard-of-the-film-network/730080.md?page=2)