I’m back. After a long and restful holiday break, I’m back again with a mailbox full of e-mail and a nice long column to prove it. While my holidays were very relaxing, they were also virtually movieless. I just managed to squeeze in a viewing of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? over the weekend. Traffic, Cast Away, Shadow of the Vampire, and a handful of other flicks remain on my to-do list. So much for having my Top Ten list ready any time soon. Like I said, today’s column is long, so let’s get started. Alex, Chris, and Joe all respond to Voices contributor dmderwin’s earlier comments about moviegoers being sheep...

"Baaaaa. One of the reasons I go to the movies is for the trailers. When I’m sitting in my broken seat, listening to the man behind me talk on his cell phone, eating four-hour-old popcorn and a concession hot dog in a bun so hard it makes last year’s Christmas fruit cake seem delicious, I want a huge explosion on my screen. I want something to grab me and shake me hard or make me laugh or make me go ‘Ooooooooo.’ What was the most talked-about movie event of 1999? The Star Wars trailer. If a commercial for a film can cause applause, then that’s outstanding. Recently, the movie theater I go to (to about four or five movies a month) started running the NBA All-Star ballot ads. You can hear the laughter in the theater when the kid announces that Grant Hill gave him his first-born child in the hopes of an All-Star vote. It’s outlandish; it’s hysterical; and it gets people in the mood to enjoy themselves. I think a five-year absence from going to movie theaters has blinded our friend to the wonderful feeling you get by going to a theater. Let me see if I can lay it down for you: The wait in the cue line for the ticket gets you charged. You’ve committed to seeing this movie. You get to the front, and make your selection. Your hopes are automatically raised by the cost of the ticket. If they’re charging this much, it must be a good movie! Next, a trip to the concession stand. Arrive early enough, and you can smell the butter coming off the popcorn. Then, it’s off to your numbered theater. You walk with popcorn and beverage in hand, and you find your spot in the theater (mine is seventh row, center). You sit down and watch as the advertisements bounce off the screen. The music playing in the background is annoying, but some people in the theater like it, because they’re singing along. They’re enjoying themselves. Suddenly, the still-picture advertisements disappear. The lights dim, and the latest Ricky Martin tune is cut off in mid bon bon. A few commercials play: the hard-hitting drama of trying to survive Marine boot camp; a snowboarder showing that sometimes that soft drink doesn’t make you a better athlete; or in my case, the local football team informing me that single-game tickets are still available. These can be seen as meaningless advertising. I see them as a chance to make sure the projector is in focus. Then, depending on your theater, you’re treated to a roller-coaster ride, or candy-playing musical instruments, or maybe even a living piece of celluloid animation riding a canister in a way reminiscent of the old Norelco razor ad shown at Christmas. And then, the trailers. Actors names flash across the screen as explosions occur telling us that this time, it’s personal. Or romantic period music plays as we witness two ancient families brought together by the power of love. Or perhaps, just perhaps, Tom Green shows up on the screen to plug his new movie with Marlon Wayans. The trailers tell part of the story, giving you insight into what the movie is about, who’s in it, and unfortunately, how the movie ends. But you put that aside, and you think, ‘Wow, I’m interested in seeing how that turns out,’ or ‘Why would anyone hire Tom Green and Marlon Wayans?’ Then, movie sign. Logo, actors, movie. And two hours later you leave thinking ‘You know, that was pretty good. And that movie playing in the next theater? Sounded like it had some good stuff in it too. Maybe I’ll check it out.’ We go to the movies to experience them fully. People who watch movies only on video and DVD miss out on the magic of walking into the theater and knowing that, right now, 300 people you don’t know are experiencing the same thing you are. The trailers, the talking people, the bleeding sound from other screens are no different from television commercials, barking dogs, or the TV in the other room. BTW, thank you, Voices, for giving me a place to vent. I’ve been printed three times this year (hopefully, this will make four), and I find it amazing to see what other movie fans talk about. Best to you all in the new year." -- Alex

"After reading dmderwin’s letter, I had to write back in. Well, dmderwin you wanted to know whether or not we were sheep? My answer to that is a definite NO. What I am is a dreamer. I don’t know what exactly made you turn away from the magic of movies (yes, I said magic), but I will continue to go regardless of what they throw my way before the movie. I don’t know if you ever saw Cinema Paradiso, but that movie says it all about why I go to movies. I won’t go into detail: just rent it, and you’ll see what I mean. I go to movies to have a chance to share laughter and cheers with other moviegoers. I go because the child in me loves the larger-than-life characters and settings. I go to the movies because the thinker in me wants to be challenged by the latest indie movie. Besides, you can’t ignore what is happening on the big screen like you can on TV. Like it or hate it, the movie draws you in and demands your attention. Movies require an active participation. Did you ever leave the theater for a second and, when you come back, you feel like you missed something? At home on TV, you miss five minutes of a show and you still know what is happening. That is because TV is passive and has to make that sitcom or drama appeal to a much wider audience. Movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are not TV fare. They were meant to be seen projected on a huge screen so that we can share in the characters’ trials and triumphs. That is why I go to movies and tolerate commercials. I do find commercials annoying, but no more than the ones everywhere else. So I am supposed to boycott the theaters because of this? I guess that I should boycott television too since I can’t get away from advertisements. Oops, I better put that magazine down -- full of ads, you know. Commercials are, to a degree, necessary. Advertisers are seeking our money, and they need it to survive in the business market. That company may employ a relative of yours and, in order for the company to continue the employment of that relative, it needs to bring in more money. Hence, here come those ads to tell you where to spend your dough. I’m not saying that I approve of the current onslaught of commercials everywhere, but we have to boycott more that just movies if we are going to voice our distaste for advertisements. And don’t sit there and tell me that because we paid for the tickets, they should get rid of them. Hmm! Do you have cable? How about a magazine subscription? Ever go to a game? Well look at that...more ads, and you paid for them, too. As long as they keep the commercials OUT of the movie itself, I will continue to go to the theater. As I said in a previous letter, I will gladly pay an extra buck or two to get those commercials out of the way. And to tell you the truth, thanks to DVD I don’t have to put up with commercials. You can go right to the movie with the chapter-selection feature. The only way they can get you to watch them is if they sneak them into the extra section. Of course, you do lose some of the pizzazz by seeing it on a TV screen instead of a theater screen, but they do throw in a lot of extras to make it worthwhile. My suggestion to dmderwin is get a DVD player, so you can skip all the advertisements (commercials and trailers) and get back to enjoying the movie. Thanks again. P.S.: I used to go to about three to four movies a month, but with the recent crop of releases being disappointing, and me not really being in an ideal location for more choices in movies, my attendance has dropped to one every two months. Somebody hurry up and get Traffic, Chocolat, and Quills out into more theaters." -- Chris

"That was quite a rant by dmderwin. I can’t really argue with it, because it made so little sense (Clearasil ads?). But the bottom line is, if you haven’t been to the movies in five years, you never really loved them in the first place. Storming off in a silent huff is probably not the most effective form of protest. I just want exhibitors to know that if they want me to prefer their theaters to a competitor’s, a promise of no TV commercials would be a lot more effective than free mints or a cappuccino machine. However, we should definitely be making more of a fuss." -- Joe Greenia, Chicago

Aamir returns to the topic of Robert Downey Jr. and his recent arrest for drug possession on page two >>>

 

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