where is all the good cinema?
I’m in a movie going rut. Everything I’ve seen on the big screen lately has been just short of mediocre. Last night I saw the Robin Williams sleeper One Hour Photo. I could barely stay awake. What banality of story and production! Also, recently I have seen Sweet Home Alabama and Signs. Both of which were not necessarily bad movies or good movies but were neither entertaining nor moving. The best thing about all these movies has been the jumbo Dr. Pepper and the Junior Mints consumed. I demand more for my eight bucks.
Hollywood has lost all respect for the viewer and has become a lazy beast on all fronts. The production designer for One Hour Photo must have been straight out of school. The SavMart that Robin Williams worked at was totally ill-conceived. Was it a Target? Wallmart? Why was the furniture for sale at SavMart IKEA furniture? I don’t think IKEA would allow their stuff to be sold at a SavMart. Also, Robin Williams’ make-up looked like a horrible bleachy Eminem dye job that did not go with his character. What gives? Am I being too picky? Am I supposed to not notice that kind of stuff or was I noticing that stuff cause the movie was so boring and slow that I concentrated on other things besides the plot – which anyone could have guessed at within the first five minutes.
I need some cinema that knocks me on the floor, makes me openly weep with joy or sorrow – something memorable.
Lucky for me when there is a drought of bad movies there seems to be an onslaught of wonderfully inspiring music. To wit, my top 10 in rotation these days are:
- jets to brazil – perfecting loneliness
- the cinematic orchestra – every day
- various – superfunk3
- atjazz – labfunk
- nightmares on wax – mind elevation
- dj vadim – art of listening
- doug martsch – now you know
- low – trust
- all tomorrow’s parties 1.1: sonic youth curated
- jawbreaker – etc