Memo to Hollywood, Number 2

Some time ago I noted that the whole movie review system needs to be overhauled, but now I realize that that's not enough. We need two fundamentally distinct categories to unserstand what exactly we are watching.

First of all, there are movies. Movies are shows like Transformers and Three Amigos. These aren't necessarily trying to make some overbearing statement about the futility of life; they're just meant to be enjoyed.

The second category is, of course, films. These are the shows that are about people "coming to terms with things." They tend to be heavier in thematic elements and more somber in tone, but they can be action-oriented shows like The Lord of the Rings. Most French films fall into this category.

So when I see somebody whining that Nacho Libre doesn't have a deep enough theme and blah blah blah weltanschauung, I think, "Whoa! Were you expecting Citizen Kane? It's a movie, not a film. Get over it.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I am in total agreement.
April 21, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Kaitlyn said…
"Can't you see this woman is a nun?"

"The brothers don't think I know a buttload of crap about the gospel, but I do!"

"'Surprise!'---'Get that corn out of my face!'"
August 11, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, you couldn't get white onions because of the war; all you could get...

Do you ever get stuck in a conversation that you can’t get out of? I’m not talking about those times when you have to be somewhere else or there’s a rational need to leave, but rather those times when, with every word the other person utters (it’s typically just a two-person conversation), your brain threatens to escape your body and make a break for it. All you can do is try to play some old TV theme songs in your head, or maybe design circuits if you’re the engineering type, all the while searching for an opportunity to escape. Now I’m boring myself just thinking about those situations.
Read more

Thirty Thoughts

1. Is that more hair in the shower drain every morning? 2. What's the big deal? It's just a number with a zero at the end. Why should we consider that significant? 3. Am I still allowed to wear shorts? 4. I need to buy a house within the next five years or we won't have it paid off by retirement age. Then again, my generation won't be able to retire until age 80, so I shouldn't worry. 5. I really should be eating more green, leafy vegetables. If I leave potatoes in the fridge long enough, will that count? 6. Going back to school is getting less and less likely. Then again, sending kids to school will be enough trauma. 7. At least I no longer look like I'm 12, which I did until I was about 23. 8. I will never wear my cell phone on my belt. 9. For some reason, there's a big difference between having a kid and having kid s . 10. You kids get off the lawn! 11. I wonder when my memory will start to go. 12. Inside of me beats the heart of an 18-year-old. At leas...
Read more

Moral Compass

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being “afraid to step on a blade of grass” and 10 being “I’m gonna kill everyone!”), how bad is it if I were to warm up my car in the morning for 10 minutes before coming to work?
Read more