I'd like to start off by saying that I hope you don't think I'm whining. I would just like to state a few facts. It all happened when I saw on a blog that Jane Eyre was coming to the theaters. I picked my day and had everything ready. I was going alone because my movie buddy, my daughter, Dawn, informed that she "wouldn't touch that movie with a ten foot pole." Too boring, too historic, too literate? Anyway I feel that way about a lot of shows, so O.,K. I was ready to go alone. I looked at the paper for show times and surprise! there weren't any. Oh, wait, there was one, at an art house theater that was some distance from me. Here is where the non-whining comes in. I know that I could have gone to that movie. I know that someday, it might make it to my regular theater. But I came away from this incident feeling truly old and out of the mainstream.
The last movie I saw was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader near Christmas time. I enjoyed it, but it was no prize winner. The last movie before that was a Valentines movie with lots of young stars. I just quit looking at the movie listings when months went by without anything I wanted to see.
I noticed this out of sync thing going on when we saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding, one of my favorites, but showing at regular theaters way beyond its issue date. Same thing for Lars and the Real Girl which my daughter and I enjoyed. We had to wait until our theater had room for such a "strange" movie as this. Actually, it was very sweet. I think that may be the point.
Whether I see this Jane Eyre or not isn't a big deal. I can order several other versions from Amazon if I want to. It's just that I am so far on the edges of most everything in the media right now. Does anyone else feel even a little bit like that or am I out there farther than I think?
I have quit wanting to see anything at the theater because more often than not I find myself disappointed in the movie and cheated out of the $20 or so that we spent to see it! I have found it much less upsetting to wait for it to come out on DVD and then wait on the hold list at the library for it so I can watch it for free. I might not get to see a movie until it's a year or more old but at least I don't waste my money if it isn't any good!
ReplyDeleteI really feel that Hollywood has decided that we as a nation prefer bad movies since they don't seem to want to produce or show anything that compares to the movies of 30 - 50 years ago! I much prefer an old Cary Grant or Doris Day movie (even in black and white) over most of the trash that has been produced in the last few decades! And like you said, if a good film manages to slip through, nobody wants to show it and you more often than not never learn of it's existence!
I guess that's why I spend so much more time with books! :)
We rarely waste our money going to the movies anymore. I'll stick to watching old movies on TCM :-)
ReplyDeleteI still want to see Jane Eyre and Soul Soufer in the theater. We'll see if that happens. I'd love to take my mom with me.
ReplyDeleteThe last movie she saw was The Black Swan and she ended up walking out on it because it was so violent and graphic.
I've heard good things about the Surfer movie, Nancy. I lean toward the inspirational-type movies when I do venture into a theater.
ReplyDeleteMost of the movies and stuff on TV are either too violent or go against my values.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Nancy: I don't perceive this as whining; just telling part of your story.
ReplyDeleteWe received a theatre gc for Chrstmas, and have yet to use it--can't find one we like! We prefer old b and w movies with substance to them.
Thanks for all of the comments. I love a lot of the black and white comedies and some of the dramas, too. Almost any movie, except maybe a musical, would be just fine in black and white. I love the look of them and how timeless the old ones were.
ReplyDeleteI can relate, Nancy. And I don't think it's you, I think it's the choices out there. I rarely watch anything on T.V. anymore--and it takes a pretty spectacular-sounding movie to get me into the theatre.
ReplyDeleteI heard great things about the surfer movie as well!
We usually wait 'til everything comes to DVD, since we have Netflix. If we go to the movies, it's with my stepdaughter and it's to get out of doing something that will wear us out for 3 hours (like roller skating or swimmming!).
ReplyDeleteWe usually rent from Redbox and then we don't feel as bad wasting one dollar but even that we only do about once a month so don't feel badly:))
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