Why is it that the majority of movies these days are just mindless entertainment? Because it is the upbringing of the modern moviegoer... they were never taught to appreciate movies, and never really seem to want to learn. Why should they? Movies are just a source entertainment to them, so why should they have to think about it?
I found myself nodding in agreement with this article from Salon, paragraph after paragraph: Out of the Past.
"Since almost all of us grew up watching movies, we never feel that we have to learn how to watch them, in the same way that we have to learn how to read novels, listen to opera, watch dance or look at paintings. Part of the pleasure of movies is the energy that can seem so much more exciting and immediate than all that approved high culture."
There seems to be a great deal of people have an interest in knowing and learning from classic movies, but what holds them back from doing so? The accessibility to such materials is so much greater... more than it has ever been, with DVDs aplenty and specialized cable channels such as TCM, IFC, etc. So why not abuse it? mymexicandrugstore.org
At the same time, our information age has spoiled us. The mass quantities of information that we get fed daily is so overwhelming, we forget to slow down and remember (and fully appreciate) our roots.
I also appreciate this theory:
"There is something antithetical to the American character in believing that movies that are familiar and pleasurable to us are also works of substance."
Another issue/factor is that modern day audiences laugh or scratch their heads at the dated behaviors and dialect in some of these classic movies (this is addressed in said article as well). What they may not understand is the effect(s) that these films have had on the industry and the art. Don't get me wrong, there was a share fair of crappy movies made in those days as well, but how can we just write off the movies that inspire the artists and moviegoers of motion pictures past and present?
What do you want out of your moviegoing experience? Do you have any desire to get to know classic movies? What are your favorite classics, if any?
I have been getting into Akira Kurosawa films lately. http://www2.tky.3web.ne.jp/~adk/kurosawa/AKpage.html He has been a huge influence for many filmmakers, Hidden Fortress >> Star Wars. His films are incredible. I also have always had a fascination with the Marx Brothers and their films. Trivia Question: Name all 5 of the brothers. I grew up in a town and time of only 10 channels and no remote control. Lots of late Friday and Saturday night, classic Sci-Fi and horror films. Plus on Sunday a Tarzan and then a classic comedy movie, Marx Bros, Ma and Pa Kettle, etc.
Stephen Balderson is a new filmmaker to keep your eye out for. He is from and still lives in Wamego, the same small Kansas town we grew up in. His movie Pep Squad was filmed in the high school I went to. For you people in Cal that ain't no big deal, but to us Kansas folk ... well we take what excitement we can get. heh. I could go on and on about all of the great "hidden" movies out there, indy films, foreign, classic, anime, etc. Thank the gods for Netflix.
I had a good rant about this a couple weeks ago on my blog. I'm really starting to despise the current film direction. There have only been a few really good movies in the last couple years, and the rest either were horrible or just mediocre.
transmitted by Kevin on March 27, 2003 07:25 AMThe number of movies that has come out in the last year that I have been tempted to see: 1 (LOTR). I've been a classic movie buff for a while, I *LOVE* noir type films, especially Humphrey Bogart. I think that The Maltese Falcon is one of the best movies I've ever seen, classic or modern. No special effects, no big money scenes, just tight writing, acting and directing.
transmitted by Tom on March 27, 2003 10:08 AMI think part of the reason there's not much interest in older films is that they are "old" and many are in (gasp) black and white, some even (double gasp) silent! I used to think that way, then I caught Chaplin's Modern Times and laughed so hard it hurt. I like several other classic movies, but classic comedy is my fav genre.
One movie that is a classic that involved no special effects is "12 Angry Men". Both the original and recent remake are excellent. In fact most of the story takes place in one room.
transmitted by Kim on March 27, 2003 08:13 PMI love classic movies! They have stories that actually make sense!! Amazing how that works!!!
And I like learning about visual metaphors used, and the backgrounds of films that aren't familiar for us anymore. You only see what you know - I like to see as much as possible.
I hold firmly to the belief that Burt Lancaster is still the manliest man in movie history, so some of his movies are among my favorites: Sweet Smell of Success, The Swimmer, and again and again From Here to Eternity.
Then there's all the old spy capers - The Man Who Came In From The Cold, The Third Man, and Casablanca. (And Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid as a genius fake fits in here too.)
And the sweet , gentle stuff - I never get tired of It's A Wonderful World, or of Harvey.
transmitted by Elke on March 27, 2003 11:25 PMKurosawa, Chaplin, Marx Bros., Film Noir... *all* good stuff!
I have way too many classics on my list. Sunrise, Metropolis, Modern Times, Duck Soup are prolly the more known ones. I could go on and on.
I also find it hard to comprehend that a lot of people out there have a hard time watching a film that strays from their norm... black & white, silent, subtitled, etc. Whatever happened to appreciating a film for what it is... an art form?
I'm so glad that there are like-minded people out there. We should talk flicks more often!
transmitted by courtney on March 28, 2003 12:13 PM