By John E. Carey
Peace and Freedom Group
May 3, 2007
Among the top Hollywood film hits this weekend: “Spiderman 3,” from the comic strips and “Blades of Glory,” a funny comedy about a male figure-skating team with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder.
And on May 11th a film called “Delta Farce” with “Larry the Cable Guy” will open. The tagline for this film while men are ding in a real war: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Iraq. I’ll bet this film is funny but I am not sure it will be in good taste or in theaters at the most appropriate time.
I have no grievance against these movies or their whimsical filmmakers. But does anyone remember when adults made smart movies for other adults?
In 1964 these were two of the clever, intriguing and even thoughtful films we had to wrap our minds around: “Seven Days in May” about a potential military coup in the United States, and “Doctor Strangelove,” about the threat of world-wide nuclear war.Pretty heady topics.
And what stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglass, Fredric Marsh, Ava Gardner, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn and a lot more.
Your star power this summer comes in the form of Tobey Maguire.
Later this summer we’ll have a Bart Simpson full length feature with full frontal nudity.
For what purpose?
We probably can never return to the quality films like those in 1939, considered by many as Hollywood’s most competitive year. The films nominated for best picture that year?
“Gone with the Wind” (the Winner), “Dark Victory,” “Love Affair,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart) “Ninotchka,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Stagecoach” (John Wayne), “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Wuthering Heights.”
There are a lot of great topics out there to deal with. A lot of real drama exists in this world, now and throughout history. But what is Hollywood serving up to Americans and the greater world audience?
Comic books and icecapades.
I ask Hollywood: Is this only about money? Where are the life and death dramas and challenging world issues we once had in our theaters?
Hollywood is on a binge of making children’s movies for the mush minded. Like video games, this worthless trash is being used in the Islamic world to show how shallow and corrupt America really is.
Time to change the channel Hollywood. Return to cinema greatness if you can. Ditch the dirt and the comic strips. Make the world think again. It may not be too late.
