Have you gone to the movies lately? I have not. There seems to be a festival of violence, animated films, and a lot of serialized films, such as Pirates of the Caribbean and others like it.
I have not had the urge to go to the movies for a long while even though I have a major theater nearby. I have not seen Lincoln yet, but will see it when it is available on Netflix.
Even the new films on Netflix do not seem to appeal to me, and I go back to old classics.
What has happened? Lynda Obst, in her new book, Sleepless in Hollywood, a noted Hollywood producer, tells us that the criteria for a new film are whether it will sell abroad and whether it can be serialized. An occasional exception is made for superstars such as George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
What we think of as women's films have essentially disappeared. The rationale is that women will go to see men's films, but men will not go to see women's films. This woman refuses to go to the intentionally violent, spooky, bizarre, and outerworldly. I also think there is enough animation on TV that it is unnecessary on the big screen.
I wonder whether the executives in Hollywood watch the films they make or whether they confine their viewing to the $$$$ on the spreadsheet.
Film as an art form is vanishing. I am a long time film buff and film collector. I am frustrated as are many other people. Attendance at films is going down and has declined for a long while. It is time for Hollywood to reconsider its role. a
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