Dick
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- May 22, 1999
- Messages
- 9,938
- Real Name
- Rick
I know I am not alone in this.
But, full disclosure, I am 62 years old, and remember the "action thrillers" of decades ago very well.
Those of you out there under 30 may not have had the experience of theatrical viewings of film noir, or of BONNIE AND CLYDE, the original THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3, and THE FRENCH CONNECTION and the pre-80's James Bond films.
Back then, the editing was logical. You were able to follow the action sequences easily because there was enough coverage to allow for frequent long shots mixed into the close-ups in order to keep everything in visual context. One understood exactly what was going on and who was who, not to show off an editor's "skills,' but because this made the action flow in a discerning fashion.
I am afraid that, somewhere along the line, Hollywood began to assume young audiences (i.e. mostly the teenagers with money) would not sit still for that sort of story structure, and began a course of self-fulfilled-prophecy that turned these viewers into robotic pawns who from that time on could not enjoy an action film unless it was comprised of mindless quick cuts (no matter if they didn't match or make any sense because the shots were too closely composed to reveal anything but motion---what a cop-out!), non-dimensional characters who just loved to wreak havoc, chases and car crashes, explosions, and dumb-f&^k machismo.
I just watched TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997) from the new Blu-ray Bond set, and enjoyed some of it, but by then a lot of horrible cliches had already subverted action films.
Yes, we have come to expect that James Bond will survive any and all assaults against him. But, hey, must we see multiple sequences that include scores of "bad guys" firing at him with automatic weapons, seeing bullet hits on all four sides of him time and time again, while he escapes without so much as a flesh wound, while he can fire back and hit villain after villain? Sorry, despite the Bond mythology, this sort of sequence takes me right out of the movie. Countless subsequent Bond and non-Bond actions films fall back on this completely unsustainable bullshit, and even less convincingly. Go back to earlier James Bond films. There was a much more convincing feeling that Bond was actually in trouble (even though we knew he would prevail), because he did not seem to be omnipotent, merely very good at covering his ass.
Now, the zero-attention-span, texting/game-playing youth of this country seem to demand the sort of bull that Hollywood is feeding them (and us), but I wonder if this is more Hollywood's interpretation of of what youth want than what it actually does want. Are Madison Ave. and Hollywood simply dictating what our youth should want, and is that why most movies that are shown in our multiplexes today are such irrelevant crap? Youth today are certainly more technology-oriented than we were, but don't they also appreciate a really good story, well told, when all is said and done? If not, we're really in trouble.
Most of us were brought up on stories read to us at bedtime, and for those we used our imaginations. We filled in the blanks. Hollywood wants to fill in ALL those blanks now, and it infuriates me. Movies are no longer interactive. They are strictly barrages of quick-cut images with little coherance and of absolutely no emotional consequence.
There are exceptions, but they are way too far from the rule: The Gary Oldman version of TINKER TAILOR SOLDER SPY is an intelligent (hard to apply that adjective to most thriller anymore) story with a thoughtful script, and a number of foreign language films (since, in Europe, filmmakers are still producing quality product), do honor the now-rare covenant that even thrillers should have logic and be presented in a way that does not confuse us, one which rather emerses us in the story and characters and makes us give a damn about the outcome of the story.
I tire of Hollywood dicatating what we want.
How about we dictate what Hollywood should provide us?
I do not pretend to know what the youth of today want to see in their movies. I fear it may be what Hollywood has told them they should want, which is the crap we see being produced. If so, it is because the studios have turned our youth into indiscriminate viewers, in order to keep third-rate directors and editors on the payroll.
I resent this. I am now a senior, and am part of a very huge portion of our society known as The Baby Boomers. We want decent movies, too. We would love to be able to drive to the local multiplex to watch a movie, but there's almost nothing out of interest for us. Independent films don't often make their way to us, so we have to wait for the DVD or Blu-ray. Hollywood, you are shooting yourself in the foot. We are a HUGE potential market for you, and you are ignoring us. We like action films, too. But we want them to make sense. We love excitement, but we want the visuals to be coherant. Is that too much to ask? If so, you are going to lose money. Soon. Just ask AARP. Your youth market is lucrative, but not as big as that of potential senior viewers.
We want our great action thrillers back!
(i,.e. screw Michael Bay and those of his ilk).
But, full disclosure, I am 62 years old, and remember the "action thrillers" of decades ago very well.
Those of you out there under 30 may not have had the experience of theatrical viewings of film noir, or of BONNIE AND CLYDE, the original THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3, and THE FRENCH CONNECTION and the pre-80's James Bond films.
Back then, the editing was logical. You were able to follow the action sequences easily because there was enough coverage to allow for frequent long shots mixed into the close-ups in order to keep everything in visual context. One understood exactly what was going on and who was who, not to show off an editor's "skills,' but because this made the action flow in a discerning fashion.
I am afraid that, somewhere along the line, Hollywood began to assume young audiences (i.e. mostly the teenagers with money) would not sit still for that sort of story structure, and began a course of self-fulfilled-prophecy that turned these viewers into robotic pawns who from that time on could not enjoy an action film unless it was comprised of mindless quick cuts (no matter if they didn't match or make any sense because the shots were too closely composed to reveal anything but motion---what a cop-out!), non-dimensional characters who just loved to wreak havoc, chases and car crashes, explosions, and dumb-f&^k machismo.
I just watched TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997) from the new Blu-ray Bond set, and enjoyed some of it, but by then a lot of horrible cliches had already subverted action films.
Yes, we have come to expect that James Bond will survive any and all assaults against him. But, hey, must we see multiple sequences that include scores of "bad guys" firing at him with automatic weapons, seeing bullet hits on all four sides of him time and time again, while he escapes without so much as a flesh wound, while he can fire back and hit villain after villain? Sorry, despite the Bond mythology, this sort of sequence takes me right out of the movie. Countless subsequent Bond and non-Bond actions films fall back on this completely unsustainable bullshit, and even less convincingly. Go back to earlier James Bond films. There was a much more convincing feeling that Bond was actually in trouble (even though we knew he would prevail), because he did not seem to be omnipotent, merely very good at covering his ass.
Now, the zero-attention-span, texting/game-playing youth of this country seem to demand the sort of bull that Hollywood is feeding them (and us), but I wonder if this is more Hollywood's interpretation of of what youth want than what it actually does want. Are Madison Ave. and Hollywood simply dictating what our youth should want, and is that why most movies that are shown in our multiplexes today are such irrelevant crap? Youth today are certainly more technology-oriented than we were, but don't they also appreciate a really good story, well told, when all is said and done? If not, we're really in trouble.
Most of us were brought up on stories read to us at bedtime, and for those we used our imaginations. We filled in the blanks. Hollywood wants to fill in ALL those blanks now, and it infuriates me. Movies are no longer interactive. They are strictly barrages of quick-cut images with little coherance and of absolutely no emotional consequence.
There are exceptions, but they are way too far from the rule: The Gary Oldman version of TINKER TAILOR SOLDER SPY is an intelligent (hard to apply that adjective to most thriller anymore) story with a thoughtful script, and a number of foreign language films (since, in Europe, filmmakers are still producing quality product), do honor the now-rare covenant that even thrillers should have logic and be presented in a way that does not confuse us, one which rather emerses us in the story and characters and makes us give a damn about the outcome of the story.
I tire of Hollywood dicatating what we want.
How about we dictate what Hollywood should provide us?
I do not pretend to know what the youth of today want to see in their movies. I fear it may be what Hollywood has told them they should want, which is the crap we see being produced. If so, it is because the studios have turned our youth into indiscriminate viewers, in order to keep third-rate directors and editors on the payroll.
I resent this. I am now a senior, and am part of a very huge portion of our society known as The Baby Boomers. We want decent movies, too. We would love to be able to drive to the local multiplex to watch a movie, but there's almost nothing out of interest for us. Independent films don't often make their way to us, so we have to wait for the DVD or Blu-ray. Hollywood, you are shooting yourself in the foot. We are a HUGE potential market for you, and you are ignoring us. We like action films, too. But we want them to make sense. We love excitement, but we want the visuals to be coherant. Is that too much to ask? If so, you are going to lose money. Soon. Just ask AARP. Your youth market is lucrative, but not as big as that of potential senior viewers.
We want our great action thrillers back!
(i,.e. screw Michael Bay and those of his ilk).
