Feb 01 2007

Here’s to hype and heresy!

I am starting this entry out with this quote because it’s from Prairie
Home Companion which is a damn good movie and which directly relates to
our topic of the day.

You ever watch the trailer for a movie and it totally gives away so much of
the movie that it’s not worth going to see the movie at all? Like when
they show you all the funny parts in a comedy. Or, worse yet, when they give
away some twist in the movie!

Another annoying thing is when the trailer for the movie leads you to believe
the movie is about something totally different than what it is about. Man
of the Year looks like a comedy, but it’s mostly an action/political
thriller type movie. Unleashed looks like an action film but it’s
actually mostly a romance. Every Robin Williams film ever, actually now that
I think of it, is made to look like a comedy but is really a very depressing
film. Annoying!

My husband and I have decided to rent movies based solely on hype and heresy,
thereby bypassing the entire trailer system. I rented Prairie Home Companion
based on nothing more than the fact that it was Robert Altman’s last movie
and that it looked like it had a lot of good stars in it. Excellent film. I
rented Little Miss Sunshine because it was getting a lot of awards buzz.
Fantastic film. I rented Sideways because I seem to recall it getting
buzz the year it came out. Very good film, but a little down for my tastes.
I rented Snakes on a Plane because I wanted to see snakes. . . . on a
plane, but we’ll get to that later.

There is something kind of fun about turning on the DVD and having no idea
what the movie you are about to watch is about or who is in it. It’s almost
like you are getting the rare chance to see the movie how the writer and direction
intended, instead of how a studio wants you to view the movie.

Now, of course, we still throw in the obligatory Superman Returns (so
very very bad), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (rather amusing
in a brainless, middle America, homophobic sort of way), X-Man 3 (very
disappointing, but Hugh is still hot) and other such movies that one must watch
just to stay a part of popular culture, but we are trying to do a good 50/50
split.

The best part is that most of these offbeat movies are very deep and bitter
sweet instead of straight-up happy so they give you real food for thought and
it makes you feel like you are improving your mind instead of just vegging and
watching a movie.

It’s easier when you have the Blockbuster plan like us where we pay a
monthly fee so it doesn’t feel like you pay for each movie you take out.
When you get as many movies as we do a month, taking a movie out that you know
nothing about is much less of a gamble since its just a part of your monthly
fee. But all the same, ask a few of your friends “seen any good movies
lately” and just take out whatever they say without anymore research.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

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