Model Forum / General / Models / December 2005

That's pretty much what I'm hearing.  A few things occured to me the other
day when I was trying to watch some recent Hollywood shlock-noir film (aka
the modern blockbuster).

1) I'm not sure when it happened, but those guys that stand in line at 12am
in sub-freezing weather for the opportunity to buy Star Wars tickets and
XBox games  to play their Star Wars videos  - are now producing, directing
and greenlighting the big budget films.  It is no surprise that video games
are regarded among the comic book and action figure set as cinema's bright
future.

2) On the other side of the spectrum, the avant garde film makers are still
making the same boring-a.s, heavy-handed films they always did -  SEE or
rather don't see as the case may be, "Syriana", "Munich", etc. Unlike the
50s and 60s eras, today's 'immoral plays' are more the product of political
hackestry than film artistry. Great pretenders to the past's great "thinking
man's" movies. Maybe it helps that I'm older now and my tastes have matured,
I don't know - that doesn't explain why old  movies stand the test of time
when last year's offerings are a distant memory.

3) I'm reading more than ever.  Aside from the news and a few shows like
"24", "Prison Break"and "Battlestar Galactica" which I try to keep up with,
I generally hit the channel button on the remote more times than  I take a
breath when I'm watching TV.  A 30 minute sitcom now has about what, 18
minutes net on-air after commercials?  Sheesh. More often than not, I park
on one of the classic movie channels and discover or redicover a long lost
or forgotten gem of a film.

4) Hollywood could dim the lights tomorrow and I suspect the proportion of
Americans that would actually care or be affected would fall somewhere along
the lines of those voting blocks usually identified as those who do not take
the time to vote during presidential elections and/or those who are too
young to vote. Theatrical releases that is, not TV shows.  America's #1
proxy-babysitter could be disposed of by most Americans about as painlessly
as cutting off half of your fingers.

5) When did all the movie stars retire?  The gals on "The View" have as much
Star power as today's entire Hollywood A-List.  You get a fat contract in
Hollywood today based on how well you take the trapeze wires and how well
you look in front of a blue screen in a jumpsuit. Acting seems to be an
afterthought.  Last but not least, it shouldn't have come as a surprise, but
I hadn't really noticed before that of all the actors and actor's names that
I  do recognize, it is due in no small part to the number of controversies
and scandals they have been embroiled in.  Take Sienna Miller - her name
popped up on a movie trailer the other day.  Before that I had some vague
recollection that she had gotten her name and mug in the news in regards to
some love triangle.  When I saw that she was actually the female lead in a
film I had to wonder just how much thought and attention went into
manufacturing her vintage Elizabeth Tayloresque love scandal for the
Hollywood beat reporters to pick up on and fuel her to notoriety - ahead of
this film gig. Which is to say that despite the changes on screen,  nothing
has really changed much behind the scenes in Hollywood.

And wrapping  it all up with a Christmas bow is my way of saying in my own
long winded way:  "Hollywood - what a piece of  crap" ;-)

WmB

Disclaimer:  No Star Wars geeks, comic book nerds, video game miscreants,
action figure weenies,  gutter trash actors were harmed during the
production of this message intended for an audience of mature skilled
plastic scale model artisans whose patience knows no bounds. Well, maybe now
they do. ;)