In front of the movie I saw this weekend, I was accosted by the usual array of crap commercials, and a truly depressing procession of movie previews.
'Tis the season, people. I know because the displays at the local shopping mall have been telling me so since the day after Halloween. But judging from what I saw on the screen, we're in for anything but a "happy holiday."
I understand that it's around the post-Thanksgiving period that movie studios roll out the things they've been saving for Oscar consideration. And that usually means dramas. But the dramas aren't all always deathly serious. And they aren't always to the apparent exclusion of other, light-hearted fare.
Also granted, I wasn't going to see a particularly happy movie. Nevertheless, if I can get romantic "chick flick" comedy previews in front of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or King Kong previews in front of... well... basically anything, I would have expected some sign of something light coming by year's end.
Instead, we had a litany of previews for films that were so deeply depressing, each more so than the one before -- I really can't keep them straight. Munich, I remember, only because Steven Speilberg's directing. Really though, that was just an auteur's flourish at the end of 10-15 minutes of priming you to slit your wrists.
I know that the movies this year have largely been dreary for an entirely different reason (quality), but does it seem to anyone else like the coming crop is more downbeat than usual?
4 comments:
I think films are in the process of polarizing to cartoonish proportions. On the one end, we see increasingly stupid popcorn flicks and romantic comedies into which the studios dump most of their cash. On the other end, we see overdramatic exercises in exploring human depravity that might as well have a "Nominate This Film" banner in front of the credits. In between are the rare worthwhile films we all enjoy -- no popcorn, no melodrama.
It's as if Hollywood is making fun of itself. It's quite hilarious. And sad. Very sad.
I got a preview for the new John Cusack film at Jarhead. Granted, it's a dark comedy, but it's still lighter than Munich. And I don't even know where to place King Kong on the spectrum.
I'm too busy to go watch movies this time of the year anyway :-P
I think that those heavy-drama-only movies are a waste to watch in the theatre. I can get the same experience from my couch. I usually only go see huge budget FX films on the big screen.
the mole
I have a friend who has the same general opinion as The Mole. That is, any serious or just plain interesting movie he can get on Netflix, while he will go to the theater to see the latest Harry Potter or Star Wars III or whatever.
I, on the other hand, am of the philosophy that movie studios should be rewarded for making interesting movies, so I'll go to the theater to see anything I think shows talent or creativity like Goodnight and Good Luck or The Aristocrats or even Wallace and Gromit.
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