I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Being the pop culture fiend that I am, I want to get out and see more films. The problem is, typically, I don't like movies. No, let me rephrase that. I don't like "good" movies. Now when I say "good", I'm talking about the kind of movies that people usually commend for conveying some profound message or being artistically ambitious. More often than not, after viewing such films, I end up feeling either slightly underwhelmed by the whole experience or just flat out annoyed by it when I step back and realize how self-serving and manipulative most films, especially the "good" ones, are. I don't want movies to teach me anything. I don't want them to enlighten me. I don't want to have to examine them as some kind of cultural touchstone that helps me get a better grip on today's world or some other similar BS. I have music to do all this (much more subtely and discreetly I might add). :)
After that rant, it may be hard to believe that I like any movies at all. That's really not true. Generally, my favorite movies are those that don't take themselves too seriously, but aren't comedies. I find most comedies to be crap unless there's an apparent hard-core cheese factor ("Disorderlies" is godly, Tim was on the money with that one). The movies that I enjoy usually contain a sort of sensible, but likeable disposition that seems to erase the overt pretentiousness that I find in the films that I dislike. Take, for example, my favorite movie ever. I love almost everything about "The Postman". The whole science-but-mostly-fiction storyline. The preposterous subplots. The unique main conflict between slacker-hero Kevin Costner and a ruthless copy machine salesman turned general. I love it all. It's genius. My enjoyment of this film isn't even a camp or kitsch type deal, like one might expect. "The Postman" has a big heart. It's satisfying to see a story where people with such idealism, enthusiasm, and ambition change their lives for the better. Best of all, the film presents it all in a way that isnt overly clever, just different enough to keep the movie from becoming a cookie cutter feel good story. I can't say it enough. This movie is great. Too bad most everyone else hated it. It tanked. I think I remember it getting either a D- or F grade from the newspaper movie critic. It wasn't until recently that I realized that my enjoyment of this movie might be due in part to it's unpopularity with the general public, an idea that some people have brought up to me before. I orgininally dismissed this, because deep down inside, I know I don't choose my preferences just for the sake of being contrary. However, now, I have to admit that there is something special about thoroughly enjoying something in spite of blind public opinion. While my love for "The Postman" certainly isn't BECAUSE of others hatred for it, I do take additional comfort in seeing that someone as ignorant about film as I am can not only resist the educated, critical consensus, but can also have a solid understanding as to why this is. Without getting all philosophical and heady, I'll just say this. I don't like the idea of trusting other people's opinions based solely on the idea that they're SUPPOSED to know better. That's why I've decided to try a little experiment. Like I stated up above, I want to see more movies. At first, I thought the best way to start would be to sort through the canon and start watching films that everyone agrees are good. After my extensive explanation, you now know that the suggestive influence of film critics is something I'm beginning to resent. Therefore, I've decided to go the other route and see all the movies that are supposed to be bad. So this is my new goal. From now, until the rest of the year, I'm going to see every single new movie that gets a rating of D or less in the Rocky Mountain News entertainment section. I'll keep you updated on how it turns out. Screw the consensus. I'm going to find the next "The Postman".
