Art House or Arse About

Check that out for a title....

Anyway, Tonight was the night I went to see latest Sci Fi Horror movie Predators. A movie about a ragtag group of "tough guys" and some latin lady because every bad ass lady in a film has to be like that. After what was a very very entertaining movie and what I feel is a real good succesor to the other movies (because lets face it you could poo in a bag and it would be better than no2) I came home to read some reviews of the movie and was shocked to see it was getting review scores as low as 20% ! Shocked I went on to read what some of these fiends had to say about a movie that they probably could never make themselves and laughed at some of their comments
Most commented really on the lack of originality (in a sequel) and this got me thinking.

Do films always need a higher meaning?
I speak from personal experience. After studying for 3 years at university with a not so good (edit: Terrible) set of lecturers I realised the marking system there was very flawed. The films to do more with campaigns like films about dyslexia and such were very highly praised. Infact during our pitches for our films some people said their film could be taken to schools and stuff to help "stop bullying" (a feat most probably impossible but its always good to try). But never me. I never went to college first to learn to make movies before university. It was always off my own back. I always made movies for my friends and I feel this has taught people in my position much more than anybody who has studied for years in courses. Ive been taught the art of entertaining your audience first. For far too long those who work for messages and such have taken the limelight. Its about time the entertainers came back.

There is an old breed of film directors who we are sadly going to loose to make way for the artistic "ooh look at me I know films" rubbish that Tarantino spouts out these days and I feel this is a shame. There used to be a time when going to the cinema meant you payed a few pounds and just sat there for 2 hours got up and that was it. It was just like going to the circus. I dont think anybody goes to the circus and critisises it for not potraying the social problems of the working class so why should cinema. Its all about giving your audience escapism and thats what we have lost.

I realised something this week when I went to the cinema with my squeeze (Adrienne barbeau moment) to see a movie. The movie that I wanted to see was Sex and the City 2. Why? Because try as I might in the first film I actually enjoyed it. I was amazed not at the film it was a piece of ass but because for 90 mins I could just sit watch and go through the emotions that humans are for better or worse inflicted with. Well anyway I couldnt go and see the movie because the screens were taken up with advance screenings of the new Twilight movie. So sadly I had to go and see....shrek 4.... So I went in fully knowing I wasnt going to enjoy it.But you know what. I was really entertained by it. I laughed I had a bit of a jump moment and I did what I havent done for ages in a film. I sat there and smiled throughout. Like one of the vue cinema cliche videos on the start of films. I was that guy...except he has a black girlfriend. And I came out and what did I see. Loads of twilight fans. All smiling. They were clearly for all the shit we give them happy as larry for seeing the new twilight movie and that made me realise that it wasnt trying to be anything else but a piece of fun. For all the bastardisation it has done to the vampires vs warewolves concept they clearly were entertained and do we need to ask for more???

On the subject of the vampires vs warewolves thing and how it got spoiled if it was such a good concept it would have been done already....

Another film that really gets me worked up is the rather cool looking "The Spirit". I remember everyone talking about it being the next Sin City but were sad to find out that It wasnt. But was it really such a bad film? It wasnt as stylish or what have you as it but as a film it was as a welsh man would say "a right good laff".

And this boys and girls is what cinema needs again. No pretentious nonsence. No need to search for a meaning thats not there. No labeling a movie as bad because its unoriginal. We should base every movie on its individual merit. Dont review a movie by comparing it to another movie (Im looking at you sin city fans) but take each movie as a different experience weather it be a sequel or not (im looking at you Indiana Jones fans). Now if a film is genuinly bad like say Star Wars episode 1 then by all means its worth reviewing as such because that film wasnt even entertaining but thats another story.

Lets stop the search for a hidden meaning. Because when we do we loose something else. Our ability to imagine.