Freddy's Rant (1)
Today I browsed the movies playing in the local cinemas I go to here in Atlanta. Nothing interests me. I'm not surprised, though. As an avid movie watcher, I have become increasingly disenchanted with theaters and the audiences that populate them. At least six movies have been released recently that I want to see, and none of them are playing in my local cinemas. I also checked every theater in the Atlanta area that I could; only about five are playing just one of the six. None are playing more than one. Of those five, just two of the six are playing. In my opinion, there are no excuses for this gross negligence.
It seems that any movie that's artsy, important, unconventional, or that has a message gets too little attention. Anything that makes you think seems to be avoided. Instead, theaters show films for weeks or months at a time; Transformers is still playing in one local theater here. Most films shown are formulaic and mere trash. It's sad that the best we can get is Eastern Promises, Feast of Love, The Game Plan, and Good Luck Chuck, which have as much value as a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Generally, every movie available for consumption in our theaters is basically the same as every other movie made. These movies have their audiences, and rightly so, but it's unfortunate that others, often those with significance, are sacrificed.
Sometimes I think I'm snobbish with films, but it angers me that almost nothing I want to see is ever in the cinemas. And I think it's wrong that a film like SiCKO, a commentary on healthcare, is so obscure in its release and earns just over $24 million, while the Spiderman, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings series (and others like them) earn tens of millions more. I imagine there are larger audiences for these movies and I guess they do earn more money, so I'm angry too that American movie-goers don't have a more eclectic taste in film. And let's not forget that seeing a foreign film is nearly impossible. It seems that if a movie doesn't fit into the formula Americans expect, or doesn't star someone famous, or doesn't have a simple story, then people don't care. They think it's boring, it's not entertaining, it's difficult to understand, or some other rubbish. If you want to see how dumb this country is, look no farther than what's playing in your local theater.
Thank goodness for rental. It's at the point where when I find a movie I want to see, I put it on my Netflix queue and not even try seeing it in the cinema.
It seems that any movie that's artsy, important, unconventional, or that has a message gets too little attention. Anything that makes you think seems to be avoided. Instead, theaters show films for weeks or months at a time; Transformers is still playing in one local theater here. Most films shown are formulaic and mere trash. It's sad that the best we can get is Eastern Promises, Feast of Love, The Game Plan, and Good Luck Chuck, which have as much value as a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Generally, every movie available for consumption in our theaters is basically the same as every other movie made. These movies have their audiences, and rightly so, but it's unfortunate that others, often those with significance, are sacrificed.
Sometimes I think I'm snobbish with films, but it angers me that almost nothing I want to see is ever in the cinemas. And I think it's wrong that a film like SiCKO, a commentary on healthcare, is so obscure in its release and earns just over $24 million, while the Spiderman, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings series (and others like them) earn tens of millions more. I imagine there are larger audiences for these movies and I guess they do earn more money, so I'm angry too that American movie-goers don't have a more eclectic taste in film. And let's not forget that seeing a foreign film is nearly impossible. It seems that if a movie doesn't fit into the formula Americans expect, or doesn't star someone famous, or doesn't have a simple story, then people don't care. They think it's boring, it's not entertaining, it's difficult to understand, or some other rubbish. If you want to see how dumb this country is, look no farther than what's playing in your local theater.
Thank goodness for rental. It's at the point where when I find a movie I want to see, I put it on my Netflix queue and not even try seeing it in the cinema.
posted by Anonymous at 9:59 AM
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