And that, my friends, was me trying to be clever with my title. Note the word TRYING...
So, for Christmas, my wonderful husband got me a Nook HD e-reader. It was all I wanted for Christmas and the mister delivered. I have spent the past few weeks trying things out and getting used to this technology that the kids are crazy about these days. I have even figured out how to link up with my local library and check out books and audio books. It's been fun going through the catalog and deciding what to read or listen to next.
About two weeks ago now, I decided to revisit a book series that I had quit before I had really begun...The Hunger Games. I read the first book of the three book series a couple of years ago. I had nightmares for weeks! All I dreamed about were the kids in the book that were sent in to this gladiator-like arena and had to fight to the death. After that, I decided to be done with the books. But, in my intrigue and morbid curiosity, I decided to listen to the series. When I have a hard time reading something, I do better if someone else reads it to me. I am not sure why that is, but I can listen better and retain the story much better. Maybe it's the ADD, who knows? So I listened to the series and got hooked! The lady reading the book was interesting and fun to listen to. I got totally wrapped up in the story and couldn't stop listening.
Once I finished listening to the books, I decided that it was time to finally watch the movie that came out last year. I sat down to watch it, got wrapped up in a blanket, and 143 minutes later, was VERY disappointed. In fact, I was pissed! I couldn't believe that I was so caught up in the story that I was getting mad at the director of the film. I went off about it all to my husband, who just laughed at me. Four days prior, I wouldn't have anything to do with the books. Now, I was demanding an apology from the director and the editor for making such a half-assed piece of crap!
Now, I am not a purist, by any means. I am usually ok when a book is turned into a film. As a writer and a playwright, I understand that you cannot always include everything from a book into a movie. You have to decide what is going to move the plot along and how to tell a good story that will keep your audiences attention. I was fine with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was fine, mostly, with all the Harry Potter movies. I loved the new Hobbit movie. But The Hunger Games movie was so shallow and vague, I didn't even understand where they were going with it. I am scared to see what will happen in the next movie! If the next one is even half as bad as the first, the producers can just kiss their payday goodbye.
Even today, I am trying to figure out why I am so upset about this. And I think I finally know why. I think it is because I could have totally done so much better than the director, editor and screenplay writer did. Yes, that sounds elitist of me, because hindsight is 20/20 and I don't know what happened between the director and the production company and everyone that had their hand in the cookie jar. But I feel like I could have done a better job. And this is my overall feeling about film, in general, today.
So many movies have come out over the last few years that have been good. And there have been twice as many that have been awful. And yet, they still get made. Someone decides that they are good enough to back them and give these people money to make the film. It blows my mind! The millions of dollars that go into making films that are crap astounds me. And the fact that people go and pay money to watch these horrible things is even more perplexing! Why do people support such things?
Sorry about the rant. It was a bit more than I was planning on. But I guess my philosophy is, if you think it's crap, then you should try and do it yourself. Which also gets me thinking that I need to start taking writing seriously again and write more. Write a book, a play, a screenplay, something. Even writing more on this blog. I need to stop being so critical of others and start doing it myself. And then, maybe I can let go of this angst and jealousy. Because, really, that's what this is. Oye!!!
Tune in next time for the annual post of Christmas Shoes!
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