Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Just My Opinion

Although it is to warm again, the temps dropped 35 degrees last night. Yesterday was so warm we could run about without coats. We did some chores, but made time to both see friends and see the movie War Horse. It was not great to waste time inside on such a nice day, but the theater wasn’t so freezing, crowds were non-existent, and the car was not an igloo to crawl into after the movie.

We rarely go to the movies anymore for a variety of reasons, including a $9.50 admission fee. Our local theater maintains a monopoly and can choose what it shows. It is filthy to the point of having a musty smell. I have seen mice race across the floor looking for corn kernels! Even the staff has the look of needing a shampoo and wear shirts that need some laundering. I have tried the management with discussion; I have tried upper management with letters. So we watch DVDs, drive to Springfield for something special, or succumb to the local theater when we can find it maybe tolerable.

I wanted to see War Horse on the big screen because I thought the scenes would be worthy of the effort. Knowing Spielberg is a master with both visuals and story, I thought War Horse would be an eye feast and I wasn’t wrong. I got the bonus of hearing a musical score written by John Williams. The countryside and the characters were wonderfully picturesque in the film. Lighting and chosen camera angles were reminiscent of old movies where the shots showed the emotion of the story. Unfortunately, a lot of the story is war and that was dark, muddy and harsh-which war is. The scene where the horse is caught in barbed wire was hard to watch but powerfully done.

The movie was taken from a book, a young person’s novel, which is not unusual. The author wrote the book as anti-war, and Spielberg develops that theme quite well. There is NO glory in this war story, but it is a testament to love, even if it is love between man and horse. The scene where both sides stop the fighting and enemies work together for a few minutes to free the horse are reminiscent of other true stories of enemies temporarily stopping a war for a higher cause. Why can’t it last?

The previews at the theater were interesting that day in that a long line of garbage films were promoted before this nice family film was shown. Okay, so that is my opinion, but if we sit in front of stories about blood, gore, supernatural horror, and abject stupidity glorified by non-talents, why are we surprised civilizations mimics those behaviors? I believe in the power of story and want to see stories told where goodness overcomes evil, where people are decent, even if flawed. Maybe humanity would then mimic those stories and the world would be a better place to live.
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I have been getting some emails about not being able to comment on my blog, and I appreciate the effort made by readers to comment. As long as blogger keeps nailing my blog, I will post an address for comments for those of you who want to use it. bookwoman1015@sbcglobal.net

7 comments:

Linda O'Connell said...

Claudia, you are back up and running. I resent theater prices, too. I completely agree about people mimicking what they are exposed to. I love your comment, "Why can't it last?" I can't watch war movies, but I am sure the Spielberg film is splendid. Winter is visiting for a few days, then back to spring.

Susan said...

Hi Claudi! Hurray. I can leave a comment on your post today. Thanks Blogger!

The theater sounds disgusting. Shame on the owners. Shame, shame, shame. Instead of giving theater-goers a NICE atmosphere----clean and appealing they are not cleaning up their act at ALL.

I'd go higher than the local management....go to the TOP. Who runs that gig? Write letters to management wherever they are. You deserve better than THAT, especially with the high ticket prices.

That's the reason I rarely go to the movies anymore. There are so many good ones you can get on tv and through rentals.

Take care, Claudia, and have a wonderful Wednesday! Susan p.s. THanks a million for all your visits and comments to my blog. You are the best!

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

We don't go to the movies often either, because of the cost. First the tickets, then popcorn and a drink, and it is just crazy. We do have a cheap-seats theater here---$1.50 per ticket---for movies that are on their way out. My girls and I went to see "The Help" a couple weeks ago. The whole outing was only $15.00. Sure, we saw the movie long after everyone else, but so what? It was just as great in the $1.50 theater as it would have been in the $10.00-a-pop theater. :)

Jenny Woolf said...

Yes, there are so many awful things shown and then we wonder why kids don't know right from wrong. I have heard that War Horse is very good, but very sad. I don't really want to see anything sad....

Ames said...

Me too! I'd much rather sit through a wholesome movie than not. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of me. But I give my honest critque when I go to the ones that are not wholesome. I'm a Hallmark channel kind of gal.~Ames

Ames said...

Me too! I'd much rather sit through a wholesome movie than not. Sometimes curiosity gets the better of me. But I give my honest critque when I go to the ones that are not wholesome. I'm a Hallmark channel kind of gal.~Ames

Ames said...
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