Posted on 02/27/2011 10:21:57 PM PST by dr_lew
LOS ANGELES — Hollywood and older Americans have never had much use for each other. The 50-plus crowd doesn’t go to opening weekends or buy popcorn; a youth-obsessed Hollywood has happily ignored them.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I had taken notice of BLACK SWAN, going so far as to read the Wikipedia synopsis ( flagged as too detailed, ) which made me decide I knew enough, until my wife mentioned that she wanted to see and reminded me that we had talked about it ... we had? Well, this was momentous. No doubt would we go see it, as we did Saturday night. But that day I saw this article, which in fact mentions BLACK SWAN as being a favorite of oldsters, which I thought was quite a coinky-dink.
So, we saw it. I did like it, and even thought the ending was rather moving, but the whole experience was different than what I expected. I had been furtively peeking at the publicity photos, particularly one that Drudge featured of Portman in her black tutu, which I found to be quite (ahem) captivating. So, I imagined the movie would be rather erotic and stimulating.
No such luck. In fact it was what I would call anti-erotic, notwithstanding that it included various sexual encounters. I don't know what it is. That picture was as far as I could go, I guess. Well, I had a nice night out with my wife, and then Natalie Portman won Best Actress, so that was exciting. Also, at the theater I noticed other details from the article. It was an older audience, and nobody had popcorn, and then I actually saw someone texting during the movie! What excitement.
But the article also happened to mention "a heavily promoted teenage science fiction movie". What was this? I wondered. Well, it's I AM NUMBER FOUR, which I had maybe vaguely heard of. So as an exploratory research project, I went to see this tonight. I thought it was very cliched and pedestrian. The various scenes were reminscent of everything from E.T. to Buckaroo Banzai and the teen romance dynamic could have been from the fifties. This latter fact was rather reassuring actually, as I had been expecting something more edgy.
So there you have it.
The star in Black Swan is a Bush hater and a lib.
How about stop the gratutious sex and incessant liberal messages in movies? That would help bring back some older folks.
And what about religious or historic themed movies? Isn’t it a fact that “The Passion of the Christ” is one of the biggest hit movies of all time? Yet we haven’t seen anything like it in the seven years since it was released. But how many movies have been made such as Brokeback and the current movie, don’t remember the title, about lesbian families, which we’re supposed to go see to prove how tolerant we are.
I suspect that more than a few older folks are repelled by movies about homosexual cowboys and lesbian mothers and storylines in which casual sex is just accepted. Some people don’t want that stuff shoved down their throat, so they stay away from the movies. None of this is rocket science. It’s liberal Hollywood putting liberalism ahead of other considerations in making movies.
I’ll probably go see the next John Wayne movie, but nothing before then.
I'm 47, was a big movie goer until the late 90s.
In the 21st century, I have been to theaters for FOUR films...
The Passion of the Christ
Master and Commander
United 93
and Star Trek.
Well how about THE KING’S SPEECH sweeping the Oscars? Isn’t this a conservatively themed picture? Certainly the speech itself is, and it was played over top of the introductory clips of the ten nominees for Best Picture.
I have a relative that is in a senior residential living facility and when the young staff puts on videos of contemporary movies it causes huge problems. The generations in this facility never watched nor accepted any movies or media containing gratuitous sex or violence. I am working with another family member to try and bring some healthy choices for them. The men don’t want to watch all the chick fliks and the women don’t want to watch the WWII movies... so offer separate viewing... LOL... funny how even when Alzheimer’s takes your precious memories, your basic values and what you love are still there!
I might have been to two movies in the theater in 10 years. Besides the lame-brainess of even the advertisements, you have to maneuver various series of unpredictable steps in the dark. The dorks in front of you talk the whole time because they’re as bored as you are. Most of the award winners this year I never heard of, or the movie titles. If I want to see a good movie, I pop in “Red Dawn” or “The Patriot” or “Loony Toons”. Th-that’s all, folks!
I loved, absolutely LOVED, the King’s Speech, and I’m glad it won all those awards.
Although I could have done without the producer thanking his “boyfriend.”
Ed
I haven’t been to a movie theater in nearly a decade and I have no interest in ever going again. If I really want to watch a movie, I can wait until it’s out on DVD.
My aunt has Alzheimer’s and she responds very well to Casablanca, especially in her group. It’s cool for the guys because Bergman is hot, and for the women, Bogart. (I’m below 30 and admit Bergman sure looked great back then)
Amazing to me how certain movies and music elicits really great response. I am going to work on increasing the opportunities for my loved one to enjoy media that helps her.
The last time we went to the movies was in December. I won movie tickets for the whole family and my husband picked the 3rd Narnia movie to go see. If I didn’t win those tickets I would have just bought the DVD for him.. I’m still planning on buying it.
I thought this year’s awards show was classy and went over really well. Most of the award winners seemed genuinely humble, and often witty.
Amazingly, nobody made an ass of himself except maybe for one minor recipient (short documentaries or something) who got in a brief gripe about no rich bankers going to jail.
Hollywood has never been so irrelevant, at least to this boomer.
The only movies I see are whatever happens to be on when I’m on the treadmill or folding laundry. I think the more we have to see, the less we want to see it. There are too many choices and not enough time. Hardly any of it is worth the precious time it consumes.
For decades past, older people such as parents, were often represented in a negative light. But as the Baby Boomers got older there was a shift that today makes them look cool, and that we should have greater consideration for them.
So it is evidenced that when it was their time of youth the boomers could not be bothered with older people, but that has greatly changed now that they are older.
I call that mostly B.S. and probably a lot of wishful thinking.
I've only been to a theater to see a movie twice in the past 25 years - that because 99.5% of all movies made in the past 25 years have been pretty much garbage with no redeeming moral value. On top of that, most of my friends in their 60's and 70's, are just like we are - they avoid recent movies like the plaque that almost all are.
My movie fare comes from old tapes bought at garage sales and second-hand stores, and a few of the 'classics' on Netflix.
I agree! Although I only watched the last hour or so, having been out at the theater to see the 7PM CST showing of I AM NUMBER FOUR. The set looked real good, and so did Anne Hathaway ... who is she anyway? The Saturday and Sunday shows I attended had trailers advertising her Oscar appearance with James Franco.
Hah. I see she was the White Queen in the recent ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which seems to be the only movie of hers I've seen.
Dream on, Hollywood. Movie theaters are going the way of the NY Times.
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