Wednesday, 16 May 2001

RANTING & RAVING

The show must go on…

I have to say, I really do appreciate Harry Knowles plug for the pledge drive, even if there is a jibe or two in the piece he ran.  I believe his intent is sincere and honorable. 

Ironically, he links to a column that I consider the result of perhaps my lowest moment in recent months.  Some people loved the column.  I didn’t, because it may have been the most difficult column I ever wrote… having nothing to do with the work of writing about movies.

In the last three and a half months, I lost the website I built as a writer for 3.5 years and as the editor-in-chief for almost a year.  I lost my radio show.  I lost a number of opportunities that were lingering as the internet economy fell apart.  And on a personal note, I had family issues to deal with as well as the start and end of a very intense romantic relationship.

By the time I wrote that column last week, I felt pretty close to dead.  Perspective was hard to come by.  Even with the support of so many readers, so many friends and even the knowledge that opportunity was on the horizon, I had a hard time seeing anything but my pain.

But just a week later, I have to say, reports of my demise are a bit premature.  My ability to stay focused on The Hot Button and Voices of Hollywood is, in fact, somewhat dependant on the income from the pledge drive.  But perspective reminds me that regardless of what happens, I will have the choice to continue.  And frankly, having come to that place of perspective, I think my writing has improved already. 

A big part of what has made this column work is my often silly fearlessness.  Writing The Hot Button, I’ve never had to bend to the whims of editors, much less of studios, publicists, etc.  I have been near suicidal, career-wise, writing about virtually every publication out there, for better and, more often, for worse.  And for a long time, I was very well paid for my exercise of that freedom. 

And many of you have, over the years, pointed this out to me.  Especially when I get maudlin or bored or so self-indulgent that you want to find me a put a shiv in my back. 

It’s one of the constant issues in this job and in this area of work… perspective on reality.  How can one complain when one has so much?  How can the world seem hopeless when the changes one goes through are really about choice, not forced labor.   For God’s sakes, I write about the movies.   I have gotten paid for writing about movies… for talking to movie stars… for watching films and spewing my opinions. 

It’s so easy to get used to getting what one wants.

Even in the deterioration of my professional life, being on the internet instead of being in other media has turned out to be a blessing.  Because no matter how much my perspective has drained away, you’ve been there, in numbers, to remind me that the world is filled with ideas and opinions and the joy of sharing them.  You know, I got in trouble with KABC for letting our listeners know that our last radio show was our last radio show.  I was later told, “You never say goodbye on radio.”  Great.  Many KABC listeners wrote to me to express their sense of loss, but it certainly has not been the same the many Hot Button readers who offer support, economic or not, every day. 

Anyway, my real point here is to say, “Thanks… I’m feeling a lot better.”  The pledge drive may not be as successful as we hoped.  But the show will go on.  (Don’t let that stop you from buying something, if you are so inclined… we have a lot of mugs to sell.) 

Hanging out in the breeze has been scary, but it’s reconfirmed some of the things I felt I knew about this business before the excrement hit the whirling blades of fate.  1. A new generation of film writers is rising.  2. People respect honesty, even if they disagree.  3. I am getting better at television every month and will eventually end up on air somewhere, as soon as I find someone who wants a tough TV presence.  4. I am one of the luckiest sons of bitches ever born to this earth. 

So, keep being tough on me and I’ll keep being tough on everyone else.   We’re going to have a long time together, one way or the other.  I’m just happy to have my perspective back.  

ON ANOTHER NOTE:  I got more than a couple e-mails about Moulin Rouge and my three viewings that led to movie rapture.   This is what I think.  No, most people are not going to give a movie three paid viewings in a theater before they turn the corner.  But as I wrote in the piece yesterday, Moulin Rouge is more like Richard Pryor to me than like Eyes Wide Shut.  I’m not so sure that a lot of audiences won’t be able to see everything that is great about Moulin Rouge the first time through.  It’s not a puzzle, it’s just a really rich stew.

More to the point, with my pre-teen nephew and niece visiting, I have seen certain films literally dozens of times on video or DVD.  They watch these things over and over and over again.  Moulin Rouge was made for young folks who do that.  I am quite sure that I will find new stuff in the corners of the frame of Moulin Rouge for years. 

So, should I review a movie based on multiple screenings and not the first one?   Well, this kind of speaks to the initial rant.  I’m a person who sees over 250 movies a year for professional reasons.  If I feel inspired to see a movie three times in order to feel I got it – and I explain that – I’ve done my job.  I try not to be a reviewer.  At my best, I am a critic.  No music critic would review a song they heard just once.  No art critic would limit the number of minutes they looked at a painting to keep their point-of-view commensurate with the average viewer.  So, why should I limit myself to a first look if I feel compelled to look for more? 

Back to Eyes Wide Shut.  I’ve seen it maybe 15 times.  I talk to people, smart people, all the time, who just didn’t get the film.  But when I explain how I see the film, they are often inspired to revisit the work of a master to see if they can unlock the secrets for themselves.  That’s my job.   That’s what inspires me.  Any idiot can comment on Tomcats.  Art is rare in the film business.  When one can see it and embrace it… that’s what this job is all about for me.

ALSO RANTING:  Roger Ebert went a roarin’ for the London Guardian.  Click here to read him.

READER OF THE DAY:  Not Phil writes:  “I was moved to write about the last two day's commentary on Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor.... personally I find it bad form to criticize a movie sight unseen, however we all form opinions based on trailers, etc.

I think maybe the wildcard that is being left out of this discussion is Randall Wallace, the writer of this picture. If we can go on his past work, I think most of us can agree that Braveheart was a Hell of a film and while Man in the Iron Mask didn't quite work, it wasn't the worst thing we've been subjected to from Hollywood.

I think it's foolish to dissect how horrible Michael Bay's "dialogue scenes" will be when we should factor in that maybe the source material will be good enough that Bay can't muck it up, no matter how hard he tries!“

The Pro writes:  “Well, obviously I haven't seen Shrek yet. I am looking forward to it. But your ROTD does hit the target in terms of animation. It's not so much that it needs to take itself more seriously, it's that it needs to take itself more seriously. Ok...let me try to explain.

Aladdin was a great movie, with the original idea of juxtaposing anachronisms into a fairy tale, and pushing the whole thing so far over the top that it achieved a whole new level of comedy. But once that technique had been established, it quickly got old. And the flaws quickly became apparent. Pop culture references and catchphrases help establish a rapport with the audience and get some giggles, but at the same time it provides an ironic distance from the material. At the time of Aladdin, this was a welcome break from the sappy and self-important fare most animated films (or kid's films in general) were offering. But it's also a way of avoiding having to deal with genuine emotion or any other real connection that the filmmaker tries to make with the audience.

All this is a long-winded way of saying that too many animated movies (Disney's in particular) have become like an insecure teenager who won't stop cracking wise because he's terrified people won't like him otherwise. Desperate to please, afraid to commit. The result is just obnoxious.

I'm not saying I want all animated movies to be Casablanca, but when an animated flick is constantly relying on misplaced parodies and riffs, it kills the kind of genuine wonder or thrills that can be provided by Beauty and the Beast or The Iron Giant. On the other hand, some genuinely funny gags that don't wink TOO much at the audience are fine. I guess it all boils down to how self-confident a movie is--are they garnishing it with gags? Or trying to distract from a story that isn't worth telling?”

E ME:  Do movies help you gain perspective or lose perspective?