What Has Happened to the Film Industry?

My grandma took me to my first movie when I was about five years old. I think it was Beauty and the Beast. I was ecstatic. I loved Disney and being able to see a big movie like that was an amazing experience. Since that day, I have developed an interesting relationship with movies. It’s weird to say, but I can perfectly quote most movies I’ve seen. Not just the lines, but I can do it down to what accents are being used. I don’t understand it, but it makes people laugh. I’ve watched how types of movies have changed over the years. I have to say, I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of remaking EVERY SINGLE MOVIE THAT HAS EXISTED. To be honest, most modern movies don’t interest me at all. There’s no substance to them and there’s no creativity.

There’s one type of movie that is my favorite. My mom calls me an “old soul” because of this. I love, and miss, the films from old Hollywood. The big musicals, the widely dramatic movies, the old slapstick’s, etc. Give me a movie made between the 1930s and the 1960s, and I’m a happy girl. Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, the Marx Brothers, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland......I could go on forever. These were real actors who transported you into the film you were watching. The stories were complex. They made you feel something each time. I would much rather sit through a marathon of Alfred Hitchcock movies rather than a marathon of Friday the 13th.

Clearly, movies are not like this now. Today, we have your typical cookie cutter movie: teenage boy meets teenage girl, teenage boy falls for teenage girl, teenage girls parents disapprove.....blah blah blah. It’s always the same. Apparently high school is a place where everyone does the same thing and life is just the worst. It makes no sense. I’m sorry, Twilight is not a love story, Saw is not a horror movie and please do not get me started on the nonsense that is 'The Fast and the Furious' series. It’s hard to believe that this is what passes for entertainment.

What happened to Hollywood? Where’s the feeling? The drama? The suspense? It’s not a bad thing for a story to make sense and keep us entertained at the same time. It’s alright to learn something from a movie. If Casablanca taught me anything, it’s that true love does exist and sometimes saying goodbye isn’t a bad thing. Do characters have to randomly break out into song and dance every few minutes? Personally, yes, but no it’s not necessary. Also, while special effects are cool, do we need an excessive amount in the span of an hour and a half? Not at all. They are so overdone and they take away from the actual story.

Movies are supposed to send us to another time or place, not to make us stay in the present. Imagination is alright. Now, do I want all movies to be just like old Hollywood movies? Of course not. Times have to change. However, my hope is that writers will take more time on their work and come up with an original idea. I would hope that actors really took the time to understand their character and put in the feeling that it needs. Let’s lessen our dependence on special effects and giant explosions and focus on what’s important. I guarantee that movies would be much different and much more entertaining.