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How to survive the summer movie season |
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Written by Barry Koltnow, McClatchy-Tribune
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Monday, 07 May 2007 |
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As I see it, there are only two kinds of people in the world — those who fully appreciate the use of comic books, video games and amusement park rides as source material for feature films, and old people.
I proudly count myself among the latter.
But I am also a realist, and this is no summer to be a cranky old man. That is, unless I am willing to give up the joy of going to a movie theater, which I'm not.
Therefore, I am forced to go with the flow, and that means that I must learn to appreciate the summer movie season for what it is. And so do the rest of you cranky old people.
I've worked up a little guide to appreciating the summer movie season, and while I cannot guarantee that you will laugh hysterically, sob uncontrollably or leap out of your seat with excitement this summer, you will have a better time at the movies than you did last summer.
At the very least, you will kill time until the fall movie season begins.
—The first thing you need to consider is the notion of believability. You need to put it aside for the summer.
I'm sure you've all heard the expression "willing suspension of disbelief." It's the very foundation of movie-watching. Of course, there are different levels of disbelief. For serious dramas, there is a minimal amount of disbelief allowed. If the story doesn't make sense, or the dialogue doesn't ring true, then it is nearly impossible to enjoy the movie.
On the other hand, a comedy requires a certain suspension of disbelief. For instance, "Groundhog Day" is one of the best comedies ever made. It works on many levels, but reality is not one of them. But you don't care because Bill Murray is great, the dialogue is hysterical and the concept fascinating. Hey, what if a guy was forced to live the same day over and over and over again?
But if you walk out of a comedy and think, "Boy, that was stupid," it means that there is not enough disbelief available to be willingly suspended to make that movie work.
For summer movies, whether they are action-oriented, animated or just juvenile comedies, you must be prepared to suspend your suspension of disbelief altogether. It doesn't exist because there is no such thing in real life as a Spider-Man or a Shrek or a Pirate of the Caribbean. You can't squint your eyes and give them the benefit of the doubt.
You have to find a new starting place. Most die-hard fans of these films have never had any base in reality so they have an advantage over you right from the start. They wouldn't know how to willfully suspend their disbelief because they believe that fantasy is real life.
Don't mock them. If you expect to enjoy any movies this summer, you have to think like these people.
You have to walk into the movie theater and open your mind. Anything is possible. Anything can be real, whether it is a green ogre or a boy wizard who can fly. You mustn't think of them as aberrations but part of the fabric of your world. The sooner you surrender to this concept, the faster you'll digest your popcorn.
— Don't bother trying to understand the dialogue or the plot. They don't matter during the summer. It's all about visuals.
Summer-movie watching is a visual experience, as opposed to a thoughtful experience. Sit back and enjoy the visual effects. Soak in the colors. Amuse yourself with the silliness of it all.
The dialogue is not meant to stimulate your mind or tug at your heart. It's only meant to get you to the next car chase.
— Character development? What character development? The characters in summer movies are developed on a computer screen. The filmmakers have no emotional attachment to them, so why should you?
Oh, I should mention that you can also leave your love of moral ambiguity at home. There is no such thing in a summer movie. It's pretty much good vs. evil. The heroes always win. The villains always lose. It has to be that way because there are children present.
— Finally, we should discuss sensory overload.
Children and teen movie-goers have been desensitized to loud noises. Therefore, filmmakers have to make their summer movies REAL LOUD so that audiences can enjoy them. I'm not kidding. I once sat behind an action director at an early screening of his movie, and I witnessed him at the console turning the volume up. I asked him about it the next day, and an evil grin crossed his face.
"Summer movies must be loud," he said without apologies.
I hope this has been helpful. Go to the movies and have fun. Don't be afraid. Summer can't last forever.
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Barry Koltnow:
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