While sitting either in a darkened theatre, the couch or in front of a computer screen do you ever get the sense that you’re watching the same tired story line over and over again? Can you remember or even imagine cinema sans special effects? Regardless of whether or not you have pondered such ideas, Americans are spending approximately 150 hours each month watching movies and television. For so much time spent in front of a screen the least people can do is demand quality entertainment from the corporations that benefit from such an abundant viewership.
With audiences accepting reality TV, horror flicks and regurgitated action movies and comedies as the norm it seems that winter is the only time of year to find decent films due to their proximity to the awards season. 605 films were released in 2008 and only a handful have the mettle to withstand time and stand out after box office tickets have become mulch. For a revealing exercise try listing as many 2008 films as you can and for every title ask yourself which is more vivid: the marketing campaign or the quality of the film.
In order to maximize box office grosses movie studios work to create a sense of urgency in the public mind where people feel they must see a film within a small window while in theaters. This necessitates many films whose sole selling point is an intriguing 30 second spot (think: Wanted, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jumper, etc.). Common threads among these movies are stars, special effects and pithy dialogue. However, even if stars like Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Samuel Jackson are attached to a project does not guarantee well-crafted cinema, it merely indicates a decent income.
The time comes for viewer’s to educate themselves on what they are viewing and why. Is it simply for pretty images or stories that buoy the spirit? Or is there something more; what can be attributed to creativity and originality? Are there even any new films out there? Oscar winners Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button were all novels before being adapted to the big screen. Other winners like Milk and The Duchess are based on real people and The Dark Knight is a sequel. If you look closely Hollywood’s talent wanes as production costs soar to feed the egos of star actors and directors while studios panic to recoup expenses. The movie business has capitalized on its business aspects to counterbalance the volatile nature of popular opinion.
These facts are not new or profound but they are shocking. You need to realize that a few hours of prepackaged entertainment each week adds up and when you look back on your life years will have been spent in front of a screen. Do you want to make those years count or do you want to spend them unwinding before mindless drivel. Cinema should be an experience beyond popcorn and sugar, it should stimulate the mind as well as the senses and provoke further analysis after the credits have rolled. Instead of wallowing in indifference, get up and make yourself heard. It’s time to repeat the words of the character Howard Beale (Peter Finch, The Network, 1976) “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Don’t let politicians bully you or corporations control you; consumers require competent products and when films are purely commercial and void of art it is time to demand change.
Cinephile In Text 