Why is it that the majority of movies these days are just mindless entertainment? Because it is the upbringing of the modern moviegoer… they were never taught to appreciate movies, and never really seem to want to learn. Why should they? Movies are just a source entertainment to them, so why should they have to think about it?
I found myself nodding in agreement with this article from Salon, paragraph after paragraph: Out of the Past.
“Since almost all of us grew up watching movies, we never feel that we have to learn how to watch them, in the same way that we have to learn how to read novels, listen to opera, watch dance or look at paintings. Part of the pleasure of movies is the energy that can seem so much more exciting and immediate than all that approved high culture.”
There seems to be a great deal of people have an interest in knowing and learning from classic movies, but what holds them back from doing so? The accessibility to such materials is so much greater… more than it has ever been, with DVDs aplenty and specialized cable channels such as TCM, IFC, etc. So why not abuse it?
At the same time, our information age has spoiled us. The mass quantities of information that we get fed daily is so overwhelming, we forget to slow down and remember (and fully appreciate) our roots.
I also appreciate this theory:
“There is something antithetical to the American character in believing that movies that are familiar and pleasurable to us are also works of substance.”
Another issue/factor is that modern day audiences laugh or scratch their heads at the dated behaviors and dialect in some of these classic movies (this is addressed in said article as well). What they may not understand is the effect(s) that these films have had on the industry and the art. Don’t get me wrong, there was a share fair of crappy movies made in those days as well, but how can we just write off the movies that inspire the artists and moviegoers of motion pictures past and present?
What do you want out of your moviegoing experience? Do you have any desire to get to know classic movies? What are your favorite classics, if any?