This past week I was fortunate enough to see two really interesting films before they were released the first of which was the comedy, Fired Up. Already, this film is getting a bad wrap due to its comparsion in subject matter to a film called Bring it On. I must admit, I was one of those critics. I judged a movie by its one-sheet. However, I happily discovered how every wrong I was in my prediction. I went in expecting nothing and left with my stomach hurting because I was laughing to hard. Those are the best films in my mind (maybe not from a technical or artistic sense) because you go in with low or no expectations and leave with pure bliss (and in this case, comedic bliss).
The other film which I had the opportunity to view is the highly anticipated film adaptation for Watchmen (which doesn’t ocme out for another three weeks). After a long history of legal battles and gaining a reputaiton of being one of those graphic novels that just could not be translated into the film medium, Zack Snyder did a fanstastic job of capturing the essense of what the fans loved so much about these characters and this particular story.
I must admit that going into the film, I had a sense of what the story was about, but I had never read the graphic novel. Yet, in hearing all the hype, I truly believe that it lived up to it. It was a great film with a universal theme; no one can stop humanity from destorying itself because humans, by definition, crave chaos. The action was spot-on and each element did very well in doing what it set out to do. The cast and director were even there to do a Q&A (to much applause), and the director, Zack Snyder, even offered hints of advice. However, it was not that advice that I believe I will take with me or should I say, stick with me.
The sense of self-disccovery I found through that experience was during the film. I guess it didn’t necessarily have to be this particular film. This was just one that finally did it for me.
Everytime you go see a film, it’s a personal yet definite shared experience. Masses of people gather into a room to focus their attention on this one thing. For me, until these past few years, I’ve always gone into movie theaters where the audience shows a sign of respect to, not only the film, but their fellow movie-goers by giving silence. Yet, today more than ever, our mass film aduiences are overtly loud and harsh critics. They scream out randomly, as if to hear themselves speak, craving that attention like infants. They cloak themselves in mysterious names on the world wide web in order to say what they believe is the honest truth even though it really is not.
These people are taking away the personal experience of cinema; a chance for each individual to perceieve a film through their own lenses. What I hope to shout out to all these individuals is that I don’t give a damn what you think about a film. I don’t care. You’re not funny. You’re a dumbass.
They not only critique what films are made but how they’re made.
Hollywood was once a secret place where the gates of knowledge were locked away; known only to certain people. In the present day, anyone can go found out anything about how a film is made or what kind of theories exist about the meanings of certain filmmaking techniques. All of the latter can be done by searching on Google. However, what these critics and amateur critics alike fail to realize is that knowing and having the ability to analyze something is not the same as being able to do something.
For instance, I hear so many people critique Michael Bay, one of the best action directors out there. They can criticize him all they want, but there is no chance in hell that any of those critics is able to pick up a camera and do what that man can do with it. No chance.
For me, I’ve finally realized that I refuse to make films for these dumbasses. I don’t make films for them. I make films for the souls out there who still recognie and embrace the notion and existence of something as amazing as true love. I make films for the people who have a sense of respect for their fellow human beings. Most importantly, I make films for me. Ultimately, I am the only audience that I seek so hard to please.
To all the haters and critics alike, suck on that.
