Had a movie marathon today. Technically yesterday.
Die Hard 4: You know what to expect. So the adrenaline never kicks in. Loved the stunts. But again it had the quality of a mainliner jabbing for a vein and missing. I think I blinked when the car flipped and somersaulted into the cameras. I could hear screams here and there in the theatre: kids, I would guess. Now if it had been shot in 3D…well, then maybe you could invite that hot girl and have her hug you in terror when the car hurtled into your faces. Girls, what you do is invite the guy and cling to him. Give him ideas. But only if its in 3D. It’s not. So, no joy. Bruce Willis. Good for the money. Geeky theme. Interesting. Dialogs: Yipikaye motherfucker, was where it peaked (I'm being generous). It's been downhill since.
Wild Hogs: Standard funny movie. The laugh cues got to you but you knew you were laughing. Not like say Friends, where you laugh in spite of yourself. Even with those god awful laugh tracks running in the background, you laughed. Genuinely, right from down inside. Deep comic quality there. For Wild Hogs you did it 'coz it was better than keeping quiet or just smiling. Though I did control myself and refrain from hooting when John Travolta showed up on the screen. He is good, aint he? Basic storyline: four middle aged guys decide to bike to the Pacific and run into a bunch of bikers. Some good ole American value preps but they fail to deliver. Marisa Tomei is still mmmmmm. This musta been a weekend project or something for the gang. Laze about and horse around with friends. Everyone seems to be out on a picnic. The actual shooting of the movie looks incidental. But it had its moments.
Like Die Hard. You know where they are going to push your buttons. Still, you go to a genre movie expecting your buttons to be pressed. And they do. Instant gratification. Get some action. Get some laughs. Roil in popcorn, guzzle coke, stuff your face with chicken puffs, more popcorn, coffee. Kick up your heels and let it all wash over you. Don't bother too deeply about the cracks. At least not while you are watching. You get plenty of time to gripe over it after. Like now. :-)
The imagineering engine of Hollywood is slowly grinding down. Or maybe it's always been like this? And we've just grown up and are no longer seduced by the button pushing? Somehow, I think not. At least, not completely. There is a continuous loser streak thats snuck in under the covers in Hollywood movies these days. A quiet desperation. Very un-American granted, but its there. They need to pour on the bozo charm to keep the cracks from showing.
A few weeks ago I saw Tom Cruise on TV talking to some actors. He made a very pertinent remark. It went something like: A culture is as deep, as alive, as strong, as big, as beautiful (choose your adjective) as its dreams. And the arts are a big mirror of those dreams. Not the only mirror, but yes a big mirror. Scary don’t you think?
Something doesn't ring right though with most of these cine dreams. Knock knock, you can hear the echo rebound, after a while, if you wait long enough for it. Whoo-hoo, that's a big bit of empty in there. At least that's how it is with the masala fare that’s available
Is it any better here or here? Some say they're yummy.
Elsewhere, in Hollywood Bollywood Lollywood Tollywood Pollywood, the same old ideas are recycled for the nth time. You see it the first time, you stand up and clap. Whooping with the rush. You see it the second time - you glow with pride. You see it the third time - you nod. The fourth time you either reject it: so what else is new; or let it harden your arteries: a way of thought adopted.
It's a value problem. Everyone is just beginning to wake up to it. The 21st century is going to be one big jing-bang about morality. Of course, nobody will know what the shit is going on but everyone will have an opinion. And so will you dear constant reader. :-)
"Constant reader". I stole this from Stephen King. SK lay low on my horizon till I stumbled into his On Writing. Electrified me. Since then, he sits right up there: In my starry firmament of admiration. And love. Can’t get away from that. Always a sucker for honesty. Even with all the lip service to deception that I deal.
Meanwhile, we can be thankful that the music is still playing. It's only when the music is over that we will need to contemplate what to do.
