A few recent movie thoughts...

Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters


Uh...er...umm...very strange little movie. Based on a story published by the brothers Grimm in 1812, it seemed odd to me that a phonograph was playing in the woods. Ditto the fully automatic crossbow. Double-ditto the wind-up stun-gun/defibrillator. And of course the f-bombs are such a touch for any fairy tale. Bottom line? No.

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Zero Dark Thirty


Intense and authentic feeling start to finish. Superb acting. Flawless writing. And it of course ended with Bin Laden in a bag. Most definitely.

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Gangster Squad


Not as good as it could've been, but still highly entertaining with some excellent acting. I'm not a Sean Penn fan but in this role he gives a must-see performance. Downright frightening, enough so that it's hard to imagine the real Mickey Cohen being any spookier a presence. Yup.

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The Passion That Thrills

Until a couple years ago, when someone asked me what my hobbies or passions were, the answer could turn into a real ramble:  "Well, I love Ole Miss football. And reading books. And writing books. And watching movies. And writing movies. Watching musicals. Plays. And..." You get the picture. It sounded like I had more hobbies and passions than Carter had pills. In my mind, however, once I separated out the football, everything else was really just a variation on the same theme, one big blob o'passion.

Sometimes it takes a while for the obvious to register with me, but it finally did:  My passion is storytelling. Whether it's a book or a movie or gathering around the campfire, it really is the same thing. It's the story that engages me, and with which I can hopefully engage others. The format in which the story is told is secondary. I'm ecstatic when a new book pops from a favorite author. I'm in line for the 12:01 AM first showing. A good Broadway show is a treat. It's all just variations on venue. Story is king.

This is a picture of some peppers. It has no
purpose beyond being a picture of some peppers.

Maximum enjoyment of story is of course influenced by format and venue. Reading a book is solitary and cerebral. Subtle smiles and frowns and chuckles are more the norm than cheering. I believe this should not be the case in movie theaters. Part of the fun of going to the movies is the shared energy of the crowd. So I think there needs to be more cheering at key cinematic moments, and I'm working to increase same. Will you join me? It'll be a cool story someday.