I read a few blogs, here and there, and I am noticing a disturbing trend. We seem to be concentrating a wee bit too much on some very bizarre entertainment.
I am noticing a bear morbid obsession with the return of Twin Peaks. Folks, let me tell you, the show is drivel. Lynch is throwing out blobs of dream sequences and they are the dreams of a deranged mind. I dream a lot and very vividly, but my dreams are not filled with murder and occult madness. Lynch is dangerous, either totally and near psychopathically insane or he is engaging in some sort of black magic ritual to seriously damage the minds of Americans. Or he could just be a conman, laughing all the way to the bank at the idiots paying him a big bunch of money to make this crap Ir, maybe, all 3; they're not mutually exclusive. It is disturbing to see intelligent Americans examining every scene in each episode, determined to find great meaning where there is none..
In addition, we have a plethora of movies coming out based on comic books. How many movoes can we make about Batman, Spiderman and Superman. Do we really need a movie about Thor fighting the battle of Ragnarok (its been done, see World War 2 for the reality version_ And must we see the Hulk, again
All of this violent mythology is dangerous, The conjuring of archetypes is .is not healthy. Ask Carl Jung, who if alive, would tell you that these mythic images are to be overcome in the process of becoming an authentic human being. Stop bringing up the images of violent, damaged, somewhat crazed superheroes. They are damaging.
We used to make movies about real people; heroes, yes, but just humans who rose to the occasion.
Personally, for entertainment, I watched The Open this weekend, For drama, ytension and heroism, on a human level the battle between Kuchar and Speith beat all the superhero movies by a wide margin, and it was real,
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
The Dark Tower as a Movie
I loved every word of Steven King's 5 volume masterpiece The Dark Tower. Read the first volume, The Gunslinger and you will not be able to stop until you finish the whole thing (I believe it is somewhere around 4 or 5 thousand pages)
Now, coming soon to theaters near you, a film version. Now, I vould see a TV miniseries, but a movie? How will the story be compressed that much. I see nothing that can be cut and leave the story comprehensible. Now, it is true that you could have some awesome special effects, but surely the story is more important than the effects, right? Well, in terms of todays movies, maybe not and that is why I will not waste $10 or more to go see it. I loved the books too much.
Now, coming soon to theaters near you, a film version. Now, I vould see a TV miniseries, but a movie? How will the story be compressed that much. I see nothing that can be cut and leave the story comprehensible. Now, it is true that you could have some awesome special effects, but surely the story is more important than the effects, right? Well, in terms of todays movies, maybe not and that is why I will not waste $10 or more to go see it. I loved the books too much.
Monday, March 13, 2017
King Kong and the Future of Movies
A new remake of King Kong is out. I have lost track of how many times they have remade this movie. The question is Why?
The original was and entertaining, if somewhat silly, movie. Even as a small child, I never found Kong to be frightening, although the Valley of Spiders scene did give me a nightmare or two. All of the remakes have been sillier and boring. I have no intention of seeing the new version.
Why does Hollywood keep remaking old movies. The new ones never match the originals, but there is another problem. Have we lost all hope of any new, creative ideas. We have been beset in recent years by 'Superhero' movies, some of them, like Batman, remade many times. Okay, kids may like them, although I can't really imagine why. They are, believe it or not, gearing them for adults, and are, generally way to dark for kids. They are also all too idiotic for grown ups, so I really don't know what audience they are seeking. Teen agers, I guess. If our culture has fallen to the point where this is the best our young adults are exposed to, we are in bad straights indeed.
I have no objection to fun escapism on occasion, but a steady diet of it is like a steady diet of Twinkies.
But, back to my original topic. Hollywood used to hire writers like William Faulkner, Ray Bradbury, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Malcom Lowry, and a lot of other talented, if less known, writers. There were original ideas, well developed into fine films. Occasionally, re-makes were done, but they were classic tales like The Hunchback of Note Dame or Mutiny on the Bounty. Now, we have countless remakes of Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. maybe, our society has just run out of ideas. Or, more likely, we have become so uneducated that we no longer have writers capable of original thought.
If you want to see King Kong, show the big ape some respect and watch the original.
The original was and entertaining, if somewhat silly, movie. Even as a small child, I never found Kong to be frightening, although the Valley of Spiders scene did give me a nightmare or two. All of the remakes have been sillier and boring. I have no intention of seeing the new version.
Why does Hollywood keep remaking old movies. The new ones never match the originals, but there is another problem. Have we lost all hope of any new, creative ideas. We have been beset in recent years by 'Superhero' movies, some of them, like Batman, remade many times. Okay, kids may like them, although I can't really imagine why. They are, believe it or not, gearing them for adults, and are, generally way to dark for kids. They are also all too idiotic for grown ups, so I really don't know what audience they are seeking. Teen agers, I guess. If our culture has fallen to the point where this is the best our young adults are exposed to, we are in bad straights indeed.
I have no objection to fun escapism on occasion, but a steady diet of it is like a steady diet of Twinkies.
But, back to my original topic. Hollywood used to hire writers like William Faulkner, Ray Bradbury, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Malcom Lowry, and a lot of other talented, if less known, writers. There were original ideas, well developed into fine films. Occasionally, re-makes were done, but they were classic tales like The Hunchback of Note Dame or Mutiny on the Bounty. Now, we have countless remakes of Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. maybe, our society has just run out of ideas. Or, more likely, we have become so uneducated that we no longer have writers capable of original thought.
If you want to see King Kong, show the big ape some respect and watch the original.
Monday, February 27, 2017
The Oscars
Last night was the Academy Award show. I didn't watch. I have not been to a movie in years. In part, and you can call me cheap, I don't go because I refuse to pay a minimum of $10 to go. Sorry, that is outrageous and I am not paying that to sit in a noisy theater.
Especially when there is not a movie out there I want to see. I look at ads and reviews, and, nothing. The comedies look inane. The action movies are so centered around explosions and shootings and special effects that there seems to be no story. If I want to watch violence, I can watch the news.
Science fiction has given way to a plethora of comic book superheroes and/or movies that seem to be deep metaphysical tales of past and future contacts with our ancient alien creators. Sorry, but I don't believe that ET started the human race.
Adventure movies were always my favorites and, they are no longer made. Call me an relic but I loved movies like Sparticus, Treasure Island, Lawrence of Arabia, Papillion. movies that transported you to exotic lands and times and gave you real human characters being tested to their limits.
So, I am afraid that I have no comments on the recent awards. I simply don't care.
Especially when there is not a movie out there I want to see. I look at ads and reviews, and, nothing. The comedies look inane. The action movies are so centered around explosions and shootings and special effects that there seems to be no story. If I want to watch violence, I can watch the news.
Science fiction has given way to a plethora of comic book superheroes and/or movies that seem to be deep metaphysical tales of past and future contacts with our ancient alien creators. Sorry, but I don't believe that ET started the human race.
Adventure movies were always my favorites and, they are no longer made. Call me an relic but I loved movies like Sparticus, Treasure Island, Lawrence of Arabia, Papillion. movies that transported you to exotic lands and times and gave you real human characters being tested to their limits.
So, I am afraid that I have no comments on the recent awards. I simply don't care.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Sequels
My Dad used to say, being an old fan of horse racing, that when you get a good horse, you ride it to death. Well, what's true in many areas is not true in books and movies, at least not often.
This comes to mind because I am reading Steven King's Doctor Sleep, a sequel to the Shining. It's okay, that's all. The Shining was an excellent, frightening, horror story and KIng should have left things there. Instead, he wrote a novel that, while its moments, it seems to be primarily an excuse for King to tout the benefits of AA. It is overly sentimental and down right preachy. He should not have revisited the story.
In movies, I thought the original Star Wars was decent entertainment. I never thought that we would be subjected to a seemingly endless stream of sequels and prequels, each more inane than the last. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fine movie. They should have stopped there, the follow ups have steadily declined in quality and now it seems we are going to have another.
While I'm on the subject, there is serious talk of a Blade Runner sequel. Please, no. The original is about as good a movie as can be made. Let the story die there.
One of the few sequels I ever ran across that equaled the original is Larry McMurty's follow up to Lonesome Dove, The Streets of Loredo. Both his novel and the TV mini series version are great. Unfortunately, he decided to write a couple of woeful prequels.
Maybe there is just an incredible lack of imagination these days or, more likely, writers are just too pushed to turn out product. Whatever the cause, I would like to tell all writers one thing: if you have nothing new to say, keep quiet.
This comes to mind because I am reading Steven King's Doctor Sleep, a sequel to the Shining. It's okay, that's all. The Shining was an excellent, frightening, horror story and KIng should have left things there. Instead, he wrote a novel that, while its moments, it seems to be primarily an excuse for King to tout the benefits of AA. It is overly sentimental and down right preachy. He should not have revisited the story.
In movies, I thought the original Star Wars was decent entertainment. I never thought that we would be subjected to a seemingly endless stream of sequels and prequels, each more inane than the last. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fine movie. They should have stopped there, the follow ups have steadily declined in quality and now it seems we are going to have another.
While I'm on the subject, there is serious talk of a Blade Runner sequel. Please, no. The original is about as good a movie as can be made. Let the story die there.
One of the few sequels I ever ran across that equaled the original is Larry McMurty's follow up to Lonesome Dove, The Streets of Loredo. Both his novel and the TV mini series version are great. Unfortunately, he decided to write a couple of woeful prequels.
Maybe there is just an incredible lack of imagination these days or, more likely, writers are just too pushed to turn out product. Whatever the cause, I would like to tell all writers one thing: if you have nothing new to say, keep quiet.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Heroes
The days of heroes, human, not sandwiches, have passed. As an adult, that's fine, but for kids, it's a shame.
As you grow, hopefully, you come to accept the frailties and flaws of your fellow men and women. Children are not aware enough to cope with the various shades of gray. I, for a few episodes, watched the TV show Gotham. It wasn't too badly done, but to call it morally ambivalent would be a huge understatement. It is a view of Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a young man, and it places his adolescence in a nightmare world.
In days past, Batman was a heroic character, a righter of wrongs. He existed in a black and white, dualistic world, almost Manichean.. He was right, the criminals were wrong and he had a lot of really cool gadgets. He has been transformed into a near psychopath, determined to recreate the world in the image he holds in his severely twisted mind. Interesting for adults, disturbing for kids, and yet that show is broadcast at 8 PM, prime time, the family hour.
All throughout TV, heroes are at best semi-heroic. Same with movies. As an adult, I can and often do, appreciate that, but it seems that children cannot benefit from such a nuanced portrayal.
This does not mean that kids can only relate to Barney the Dinosaur, but they would be well served by entertainment that had actual heroes. Such humans can, of course, have flaws, but showing heroes who are almost as psychically warped as the villains, cannot be a good thing.
Humans walk a fine line between good and evil. Most of us, by far, lean to the good, but it is sometimes a razor's edge that we travel on. It's hard enough for adults. Let kids be kids. Give them at least some clear cut pictures of good. They will slowly learn the subtleties of human life,, so let them be young for awhile. Too much moral ambiguity is not a healthy thing for a kid.
As you grow, hopefully, you come to accept the frailties and flaws of your fellow men and women. Children are not aware enough to cope with the various shades of gray. I, for a few episodes, watched the TV show Gotham. It wasn't too badly done, but to call it morally ambivalent would be a huge understatement. It is a view of Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a young man, and it places his adolescence in a nightmare world.
In days past, Batman was a heroic character, a righter of wrongs. He existed in a black and white, dualistic world, almost Manichean.. He was right, the criminals were wrong and he had a lot of really cool gadgets. He has been transformed into a near psychopath, determined to recreate the world in the image he holds in his severely twisted mind. Interesting for adults, disturbing for kids, and yet that show is broadcast at 8 PM, prime time, the family hour.
All throughout TV, heroes are at best semi-heroic. Same with movies. As an adult, I can and often do, appreciate that, but it seems that children cannot benefit from such a nuanced portrayal.
This does not mean that kids can only relate to Barney the Dinosaur, but they would be well served by entertainment that had actual heroes. Such humans can, of course, have flaws, but showing heroes who are almost as psychically warped as the villains, cannot be a good thing.
Humans walk a fine line between good and evil. Most of us, by far, lean to the good, but it is sometimes a razor's edge that we travel on. It's hard enough for adults. Let kids be kids. Give them at least some clear cut pictures of good. They will slowly learn the subtleties of human life,, so let them be young for awhile. Too much moral ambiguity is not a healthy thing for a kid.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Musicals
When I was a young lad, too many years ago to count, Musicals were looked on askance by manly young men. There was just something distasteful about them.
After all, how often, in real life, do folks, walking in the streets or at their jobs, suddenly break into song and highly choreographed dances. That actually would be fun, but it rarely happens.
As I got older, I still did not like most Musicals, but there have been a few, and if you get a chance to see their film versions, or better still, a live production, rake advantage. The better ones are wonderful.
Recommended ones include, The West Side Story, Sound of Music, Camelot, The Man of La Mancha, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and Damn Yankees.
The two best are:
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This Musical movie is delightful. It manages to be darly, very darkly funny, and touchingly sweet at the same time and the recently deceased Gene Wilder is amazing.
Second, Cabaret. Based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Diaries, this tale of a very odd romantic triangle. present a picture of Germany in the 1920s, as The Weimar Republic was fading and the Nazi Party was just beginning to rear its hideous head. The movie very clearly shows the decadence that had become the cultural norm at that time and place. I look around at America's current culture and see striking similarities and urge you to watch this film. History can, and usually does, repeat itself.
After all, how often, in real life, do folks, walking in the streets or at their jobs, suddenly break into song and highly choreographed dances. That actually would be fun, but it rarely happens.
As I got older, I still did not like most Musicals, but there have been a few, and if you get a chance to see their film versions, or better still, a live production, rake advantage. The better ones are wonderful.
Recommended ones include, The West Side Story, Sound of Music, Camelot, The Man of La Mancha, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and Damn Yankees.
The two best are:
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This Musical movie is delightful. It manages to be darly, very darkly funny, and touchingly sweet at the same time and the recently deceased Gene Wilder is amazing.
Second, Cabaret. Based on Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Diaries, this tale of a very odd romantic triangle. present a picture of Germany in the 1920s, as The Weimar Republic was fading and the Nazi Party was just beginning to rear its hideous head. The movie very clearly shows the decadence that had become the cultural norm at that time and place. I look around at America's current culture and see striking similarities and urge you to watch this film. History can, and usually does, repeat itself.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Adventure Movies
I am a huge fan of adventure movies. You know, those huge, expensive lush, films set in exotic locations where travelers are beset with problems and strife while seduced by the beauty of the land and its peoples. A couple of them leap to mind.
First, Mutiny on the Bounty. A sailing ship, a mean-spirited captain, a rebellious and heroic crew in the Tahitian Islands is about my version of movie heaven. I have seen 2 versions of this classic tale. One, starring Trevor Howard as the sadistic Capt. Bligh and Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian, was very good. The original, starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable was better. Really, with all of the magnificent scenery, it could have starred any decent actors and I would have loved it; having a fine cast was just a bonus. A tale of cruelty and rebellion, of desperate men risking all for freedom appeals to a spirit that I believe lies in all human hearts. Most of us will never have the chance to do anything so magnificent. The world of such opportunities seems closed to us for awhile and we seem to be stuck settling for small victories, if we're lucky, but I swear, in every heart there is that urge to set sail for fair lands where we can be free.
Another such film is Papillion, a film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. McQueen, as the title character, is a petty criminal, falsely convicted of murder in France and sentenced to Devil's Island, the infamous French penal colony surrounded by water and thought to be inescapable. So, of course, he sets out to escape. Repeatedly, he is caught and placed into the wretched hell of solitary confinement. Each time, when released, he tries again. It is a tale of the indestructible human longing for freedom. It is a beautiful film.
From Tarzan, through the great Errol Flynn movies like Robin Hood and Capt. Blood, on through Peter O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia, adventure movies are a way artists have found to capture the essence of the human heart. Full of fighting, plotting, traveling, wonder and, here and there, love, they are a lot of fun and downright inspiring. After a dull day at work in this era of dull uniformity in a world that seems small and tame, let your mind go into these dreams of adventure. They're good for the soul.
First, Mutiny on the Bounty. A sailing ship, a mean-spirited captain, a rebellious and heroic crew in the Tahitian Islands is about my version of movie heaven. I have seen 2 versions of this classic tale. One, starring Trevor Howard as the sadistic Capt. Bligh and Marlon Brando as Fletcher Christian, was very good. The original, starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable was better. Really, with all of the magnificent scenery, it could have starred any decent actors and I would have loved it; having a fine cast was just a bonus. A tale of cruelty and rebellion, of desperate men risking all for freedom appeals to a spirit that I believe lies in all human hearts. Most of us will never have the chance to do anything so magnificent. The world of such opportunities seems closed to us for awhile and we seem to be stuck settling for small victories, if we're lucky, but I swear, in every heart there is that urge to set sail for fair lands where we can be free.
Another such film is Papillion, a film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. McQueen, as the title character, is a petty criminal, falsely convicted of murder in France and sentenced to Devil's Island, the infamous French penal colony surrounded by water and thought to be inescapable. So, of course, he sets out to escape. Repeatedly, he is caught and placed into the wretched hell of solitary confinement. Each time, when released, he tries again. It is a tale of the indestructible human longing for freedom. It is a beautiful film.
From Tarzan, through the great Errol Flynn movies like Robin Hood and Capt. Blood, on through Peter O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia, adventure movies are a way artists have found to capture the essence of the human heart. Full of fighting, plotting, traveling, wonder and, here and there, love, they are a lot of fun and downright inspiring. After a dull day at work in this era of dull uniformity in a world that seems small and tame, let your mind go into these dreams of adventure. They're good for the soul.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Movies - What Ever Happened To Humans
I do not go to the movies anymore and I rarely watch them on TV. Where I now live, we do not get Turner Classic Movies and that is about the only place you can see the kind of movies I like. You see, call me old fashioned, call me a troglodyte, but I like films that focus on Human Beings.
There is more, much more, to life than explosions, car chases, monsters of various sorts, and superheroes. There is also more to Human relations than sex. Sure, a bit of any of those things is okay, as long as they are within the realm of a Human story.
Let me give you an example. Back in the 70s, there was a fine movie called Two Lane Blacktop, starring Warren Oates, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson. The movies was about a cross country car race, and those parts were pretty cool, but the real story was the interaction between the characters. Compare this with complete drivel like any of the Fast and Furious movies.
Another example. Going back to much earlier times, you find the wonderful Treasure Island, a story of pirates, treachery, and lost treasure, starring Jackie Cooper. as young Jim, and Wallace Berry, as the lovably villainous Long John Silver. The pirate story, while certainly entertaining was really just a backdrop for a fine story of a boy on the verge of manhood dealing with his first exposure to the adult world of greed and underhanded dealings, Jim becomes a man when he finds himself able to forgive Silver's double dealing as he realizes that none of us are all good or all bad. Thought of as a child's story, Treasure Island is a movie that families can see without anyone feeling embarrassed and it is hard to find a more entertaining adventure yarn. Today, instead, we have Pirates of the Caribbean featuring Johnny Depp as a simpering drunken psychopath. All of the special effects cannot compare to a rich story of Human interaction.
Human Beings are the most fascinating creatures we know of, walking enigmas full of contradictory emotions and capable of great heroism and great villainy, occasionally brilliant and often amazingly stupid, but always fascinating. Throughout history, great tales have been told about our actions, our thoughts, and our emotions, yet today, our films focus more on Transformers and Alien Planets, on insane would be heroes in spandex tights and one dimensional sociopaths, on things blowing up and completely idiotic gun battles. What ever happened to Humans?
There is more, much more, to life than explosions, car chases, monsters of various sorts, and superheroes. There is also more to Human relations than sex. Sure, a bit of any of those things is okay, as long as they are within the realm of a Human story.
Let me give you an example. Back in the 70s, there was a fine movie called Two Lane Blacktop, starring Warren Oates, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson. The movies was about a cross country car race, and those parts were pretty cool, but the real story was the interaction between the characters. Compare this with complete drivel like any of the Fast and Furious movies.
Another example. Going back to much earlier times, you find the wonderful Treasure Island, a story of pirates, treachery, and lost treasure, starring Jackie Cooper. as young Jim, and Wallace Berry, as the lovably villainous Long John Silver. The pirate story, while certainly entertaining was really just a backdrop for a fine story of a boy on the verge of manhood dealing with his first exposure to the adult world of greed and underhanded dealings, Jim becomes a man when he finds himself able to forgive Silver's double dealing as he realizes that none of us are all good or all bad. Thought of as a child's story, Treasure Island is a movie that families can see without anyone feeling embarrassed and it is hard to find a more entertaining adventure yarn. Today, instead, we have Pirates of the Caribbean featuring Johnny Depp as a simpering drunken psychopath. All of the special effects cannot compare to a rich story of Human interaction.
Human Beings are the most fascinating creatures we know of, walking enigmas full of contradictory emotions and capable of great heroism and great villainy, occasionally brilliant and often amazingly stupid, but always fascinating. Throughout history, great tales have been told about our actions, our thoughts, and our emotions, yet today, our films focus more on Transformers and Alien Planets, on insane would be heroes in spandex tights and one dimensional sociopaths, on things blowing up and completely idiotic gun battles. What ever happened to Humans?
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Beauty and Fun for Humans
Like most folks, I love books, movies, TV, music, games and sports. I have
become a bit disenchanted with modern trends in all 6 of those categories, but,
there is no reason to abandon those pastimes.
I am not by nature a very nostalgic person , but I recognise quality. I
find present day entertainment lacking in quality but, I tend to think of this
as, at most, an annouing trend. By examining the past, I believe we can find a
way out of the current sludge that we are fed by the various media and start
something of a new era, one not clinging to the past, but rooted there,
Human society is created by building on the past, adapting it to aquired
knowledge and producing a synthesis. We seem to currently be trying to
completely abandon all past value in an effort to create some kind of new
techno-society. In a sense, that is succeeding, but it does not lead to a new
beauty, a new quality. Instead, we are creating some sort of mechanical world.
The Singularity that people like Ray Kurtzweil babble about may be near and if
it is, count me out.
I like entertainment that stresses humanity. The books of Twain and Poe and
Dickens, the music of Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan, the movies of John Ford and
Robert Altman. I like games where people interact directly with each other, not
through game consoles. I like sports where skills other than raw power are
valued.
In this blog, I am going to give into nostalgia, a bit, in order to remind
folks that there was a time when humans and their stories were of the greatest
value. Those of my era may find some pleasure in remembering some of the things
I will mention. Those younger may be inspired to look at the past. I hope so
because I would hate to see so much of value, so much beauty, lost.
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