Saturday, November 08, 2008
Film School
Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, I've been catching up on my classic film lately, and I have to say that a lot of it is really boring. Seriously, I have not fallen asleep on my couch so many times since that time I accidentally mixed Nyquil and Xanax. This, of course, fits in with my general theory that people in the 40s and 50s liked to be bored. How else do you explain Perry Como? Or quiz shows? Or for that matter, the Cold War?
Regardless, there are a lot of fun lessons to be learned from old movies. For instance, it is perfectly normal for heterosexual men to break into song, accompanied by snazzy tap dancing, at any moment. It is only the most brazen of hussies who would allow her flesh to be viewed above the kneecap. Even married couples should assiduously avoid the open mouthed kiss. And black people, of course, do not exist. (Although Charlton Heston may be called upon to play a Mexican in a pinch.)
There's a lot to be said for some of these movies in terms of technique, to be sure. Technicolor may not be the thrill it once was, but the composition of a lot of the shots is impressive and a lot of the acting is decent. But people really used to think Fred Astaire was attractive? Really? His face kind of looks like a doorstop.
Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, I've been catching up on my classic film lately, and I have to say that a lot of it is really boring. Seriously, I have not fallen asleep on my couch so many times since that time I accidentally mixed Nyquil and Xanax. This, of course, fits in with my general theory that people in the 40s and 50s liked to be bored. How else do you explain Perry Como? Or quiz shows? Or for that matter, the Cold War?
Regardless, there are a lot of fun lessons to be learned from old movies. For instance, it is perfectly normal for heterosexual men to break into song, accompanied by snazzy tap dancing, at any moment. It is only the most brazen of hussies who would allow her flesh to be viewed above the kneecap. Even married couples should assiduously avoid the open mouthed kiss. And black people, of course, do not exist. (Although Charlton Heston may be called upon to play a Mexican in a pinch.)
There's a lot to be said for some of these movies in terms of technique, to be sure. Technicolor may not be the thrill it once was, but the composition of a lot of the shots is impressive and a lot of the acting is decent. But people really used to think Fred Astaire was attractive? Really? His face kind of looks like a doorstop.
