Andrew Klavan in the LA Times suggests it’s time for Hollywood to get on board for the big win:
We play with our children, read books, go to work and enjoy recreations only because people with guns stand ready, willing and able to kill other people with guns who would kill us if they could.
It’s sweet to forget this and therefore difficult to keep it in mind. “It is hard for those who live near a Police Station to believe in the triumph of violence,” as T.S. Eliot wrote. That’s us
At the Oscars this year, when Clooney won his little statue, part of his speech included the following: “…People say Hollywood is out of touch. I say good.” (not a direct quote but you get the idea…)
They ARE woefully out of touch and as the article Lex linked to says, they are also out of new ideas. They keep retreading old ones and expecting us to pay $10 or more per ticket to see stuff we saw 10 years ago. I also believe people are getting more and more fed up with actors who think themselves politicians and international policy wonks. If they really want to make a difference in the world, either donate to their pet cause some of those multi-million-dollar paychecks they seem to keep getting, or leave Hollywood and truly enter the political arena. It’s just plain annoying to see them straddle the fence. Instead of criticizing, how about ponying up and make proposals that make sense.
Films like “Walk the Line” (an incredible tour-de-force for Phoenix and Witherspoon), “Capote” (Oscar well deserved) and “Brokeback Mountain” (I know, subject not appealing to all people but damn it was good) – they do appeal to a narrower audience. And while “Brokeback” made a ton of money, I suspect it was more from curiosity than genuine interest.
Hollywood and its “stars” need to learn that we want to be entertained – we don’t always need a message driven home or some higher point made. Sometimes it’s about a couple of hours of escapism in an increasingly unsettled world.
I’ll go see “MI:3″ in the theater – much as I don’t like Tom Cruise, I do know it will be a good 2 hours of entertainment. “Da Vinci Code” will also be a must for me, as will “Pirates…” (entertaining yes, plus the added bonus of Johnny Depp for 2 hours…). Otherwise, I’m content to get 2 movies a week from NetFlix at a cost of $14.99/month.
Hollywood Elite’s seem to have lost any sense of gratitude for having the opportunity to entertain.
If political indoctrination is what I wanted, I could get it at the local Community College. I prefer not paying 20 bucks (Less popcorn) for the opportunity to have my “betters” instruct me on revisionist history.
I am grateful to have choices, and the film industry will have to endure without my money.
The Library is still free, and books are a better entertainment value. They travel well, and most books are not carrying the excess baggage of an entourage.
We do need more movies like “Halls of Montezuma”, “Bridges at Toko-Ri”, “Battle Hymn”. I saw “United 93″ this weekend. It is gut-wrenching and intense, and a fitting tribute to the people who lost their lives on 9/11. Every living soul in this country needs to see this movie.