Movies

Movies are amazing things. Just like books we allow ourselves to be transported to a new and different place, or to look in, just for a moment, into the lives a new people. Because they allow us to see such varied and amazing things, I hold great value to the medium of film (of course, I don't believe that its actually film anymore). Film has a long history, one that I'm sadly ignorant of, yet I do know this. The way that we view films, and films view us are changing, and have changed drastically in the preceding years.

Film was a medium that was took all day. One would take a date to the movies, and it was The Movies. Films were shorter yes, yet there was more. Before films would be a cartoon, and short skit of sketch comedy  a Newsreel, and perhaps an announcement  Then the film itself, which would be made better by the preceding content. This was not a quick event. They were, by all means, a social event, one that brought great joy, and might be the talk of the town for a week. Theaters were built not just for the screening of movies, although, later they were, but also for other forms of entertainment. We can see that with our own State Theater, which houses not only films, but plays, and musical guests as well. Now we can see films either in locations such as these, or in the cookie-cutter theaters that riddle this nations. Most go for the latter and not the former, and that isn't just a decision for convince  but a statement that reflects the views of the people in relation to the watching of movies. Admittedly few know of the State Theater as other than that old building, which brings great sorrow to my heart, yet my statement still stands, that going to industrial cinemas are a reflection of society. We would rather sit and watch quietly, and leave quietly, than watch and remain, talking about the film. This is a radical change, one that I don't condone. Movie watching has changed dramatically in the last 80 or so years.


Secondly, there is a point that I'd like the make about the movies themselves, as was illustrated by The Manchurian Candidate, The Best Man, and most recently Sunset Blvd, the caliber of film has changed, and what they expect from you has as well. While this is not a rule, it is most definitely a trend that I've noticed, and we'll get back to later, and through out my blogging. However, movies of yesteryear wanted the audience to engage, and to do this they must be thoughtful towards the film. This is a brilliant idea. It increases the quality of the film by being able to explore deeper meanings, and to dive deeper into an issue, while keeping the audience engaged. Not only that, by they are thinking actively about the film. Why is that there? What is the significance of this character? Why did they choose this actor to play this character? What else could this object mean, other than the stated obvious? Things like this went through my head, I was constantly engaged, and by the end, was not rested, but knowingly warn, just as I am writing this.
Movies today, on a whole, do not ask this of their audience. Today, films are more interested in trying to find a new way to present an old idea, one that we've already heard before, and this most of the efforts of the makers of the film; instead of focusing on the actual meat of the film, its depth and quality, most makers of films are worried about arresting the attention of the audience in such a way that it is impossible to break free. Keeping it is a difficult task, and movies are tailored to specific outlets. Guy moves follow this fairly strictly: Explosions, Breasts, Explosions. Other films might follow other lines, as in: Hot Guy, shopping More Hot Guy. Maybe? no? If you don't believe me, go watch a main stream movie (that's not to say that my movie watching is hipster, because they are classic, which is a far cry from hipster).

So the purpose of this blog, to introduce you, as the viewer to films that you perhaps hadn't know about, or haven't seen, or perhaps you've known and seen, in which case, my only purpose is to discuss with you the films in question. As this is with a film class I will post about the film that we saw that week, as well as any others that I've found in my adventures on netflix, and movie stores.