I like movies. There, I've said it out loud. Perhaps too much, but I like them. They tell (or can tell) great stories and really say some wonderful things about life that sometimes one doesn't always know how to articulate. Or they can just make us laugh.
But after watching entertainment television programs, reading trashy magazines, and seeing behind-scenes extras on DVDs, I'm starting to come the conclusion that much of the time actors and producers and directors merely make these movies for their own enjoyment (with the random inside joke thrown in) or just to make money. Now I'm not completely naive, thinking that people involved in the movie business have the world's highest moral standards or an idealistic view of what they do for a living (communicating with the masses about the state of the world), but I had thought that there were a few (maybe not a lot) professionals in the industry who actually wanted to make good movies and maybe make a statement about some aspect of life. Film can be a good medium to do this.
But now I just think that most of the movies out there are just tools industry insiders use to become rich and famous quickly, attract the attention of millions of people, and amuse their hometown friends with a reference to the local burger joint or some such place. This kind of angers me considering the amount of money the American public, and the rest of the world, spends on Hollywood-related products (I'm including myself in this group).
So now I'm thinking movies are narcissistic and that (according to several candid comments by industry professionals) studying film is a somewhat ridiculous, if not imagined art-related, way to occupy one's time.
But the problem with this entire rant, is that I still like to watch movies. Curse their intriguing plots! Maybe if film wasn't such a huge industry and mainstream way of making money and causing eating disorders among actresses and teenagers. In theory, movies could be a good thing, but they're not in reality.
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