Posted by Caledonia at host-209-214-173-4.bgk.bellsouth.net on May 22, 2002 at 18:08:35:
It seems to me that we, as a nation, have forgotten what movies are for. We spend hours upon hours lamenting about the social statement that each movie makes, what social demographic it is going to offend, what psychological impact each flick will have on generations to come... Jesus, people, lighten up. Try to remember that a movie doesn't, by definition, have to raise our awareness of the world around us. If it does, well, that's great. I personally enjoy movies that give me pause to look at the world with a new perspective. However, a movie shouldn't have to shoulder that responsibility. Remember: that's what we're paying our money for. We don't plunk down a sizable piece of change so we can be reminded of how shitty the world is. Fuck, we can do that by simply looking out of our windows. We go to movies so that, for a couple hours of our lives, we can forget all the horror and sadness that infect the real world, let go, and live someone else's life. That's what movies are for, brothers and sisters. I'm an Emergency Medical Technician, and if I want to spend my time trying to figure out the social ramifications of something, I'll do it by trying to work out why Grandpa got drunk and beat the shit out of Little Susie with a baseball bat when she didn't bring his dentures to him the first time he asked. C'mon, guys, relax. Enjoy the movie. Don't stymie yourself trying to read some deep message into every flick that comes down the line. Sit back, eat some popcorn, get yelled at by the other movie-goers when you get a little to excited with your date. You'll get all the social responsibilty you want after the credits roll. There, you've gone and got me off on a rant, number 124 in a series of 1000.