 Originally Posted by Philly_SWAT
There is another possibility that might be worth considering. He may not be purposefully being obtuse, but unknowingly being obtuse. EvilNed may by like Rain Man.... he knows that it is 15 minutes to Wapner, but he is incapable of understanding that Wapner will come on tomorrow, it comes on a different channel in another hour, that you could just record it and watch it later, etc. He is single minded of purpose and uninterested in and incapable of considering anything else other than the one thing.... Wapner is on soon and he has to watch it. Nothing else matters. He knows instantly that 312 times 123 is 38,376, but simply can not tell you how much money he has left is he had a dollar to begin with and buys something for fifty cents. (about 70, he says). He understands that two people say 'three years' in Land of the Dead, but is incapable of comprehending simple logical facts. So once he enters that fugue like state, he is incapable of engaging in honest intellectual debate.... Land is three years in, Land is three years in, Wapner comes on in 15 minutes....he isnt purposefully being obtuse, but perhaps just incapable of admitting that the sentences he quotes do not say 'three years SINCE THE OUTBREAK' and therefore is open to interpretation for a variety of reasons already spelled out in this thread. Simply admitting 'yes you are correct, the quote doesnt include the phrase since the outbreak' doesnt mean he is abandoning his main point to a normal functioning person, but to the Rain Man, even contemplating the question is enough to start him banging his head into the wall. In a way, it is almost cruel to keep engaging with him, just be amazed at this incredible math skills.
Yes, totally agreed. But from what I recall from previous discussions about this, Ned does seem to understand that there is a crucial difference between what the filmmaker might have originally intended, and how his finished product in fact comes across to the audience. In fact, I think I remember you bringing this point up to him years ago, in one of those older threads about the problems found in Land, and he fully acknowledging your point. Of course, if I don't recall incorrectly, he followed the admission by a barrage of excuses, as usual, just like he is still doing here. So, he does know that even if he could find an interview where Romero in 100% clear and unambiguous terms says "yes, I totally intended Land to be happening 3 years after Night", that still does not excuse the fact that he did not clearly convey this idea in the movie itself. If a filmmaker has to go around outside of the movie itself making clarifications about what he intended, then he obviously left some points "vague" or "unclear" in the movie itself, that's why he needs to clarify them in the first place. Whether he did this on purpose or unwittingly makes no difference for our discussion. We are not really arguing about filmmaker's intent, but what exactly did he convey to the viewers in the movie itself. The fact is that the way he wrote those "3 years" lines in Land, it totally leaves the issue unsettled and open to interpretation. You only have to compare it to how the same filmmaker wrote the time-reference in Dawn to plainly see that they are not equivalent by any means. Then Ned comes around here and fully admits that the "3 week" dialogue in Dawn is quite clear and an example of "textbook exposition", which, again, leads me to believe that he likely does understand the points that are being brought up against his arguments, but just doesn't want to fully admit that the "3 years" dialogue in Land simply is not equivalent when it comes to clarity and unambiguity. So, one can easily suspect he's likely being obtuse on purpose. He knows that if he makes any further concessions it is just an admission of "game over" for his claim that the movie supposedly clearly says that "3 years" have passed since the zombie outbreak of Night.
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