I'm not sure what has happened over the last few years, but the number of movies that I have been able watch past the first 10 minutes has dropped to almost zero. I know that over the last 90 years there have been good and bad years for movies (or bad decades in the case of the 60's), but there is a real problem here. I don't watch movies for accuracy...or realism...or to learn something...if I want that I will watch a documentary or read a book. I want an interesting story...a visual feast...an interesting take on an accepted genre. If I don't get that in the first 10 minutes...why would I waste my time? There are too many options out there now. I know everyone has their own opinions on what is entertaining, but I will provide some of my own thoughts.
Don't Bore Me
Oliver Stone is an acquired taste for some...but the man takes chances with his movies and is more hit than miss. Sure...Savages kind of sucked. I recently watched the uncut version of Alexander...and what a freak show. Accurate? Who cares! It was a 3 hour mashup of 4th century BC craziness. JFK? I think anyone that believes in grassy knoll conspiracy theories is a nut case...but this movie is another freak show. I love it. Nixon? Played by Anthony Hopkins? 1960's right wing/CIA/mob conspiracy theories? Sure...I'll take some...because it's entertaining. Platoon? Along with Apocolypse Now...Thin Red Line...Full Metal Jacket...one of the best war movies ever made in a genre full of awful movies. The recent Dunkirk was not bad. What made them so good?...not that they were realistic...because they were entertaining. Try watching some of those 1960's war movies like Bridge To Far...Bridge at Remagen...or Battle of the Bulge...zzzzzzz. Terrible. Like watching paint dry. Give me some bad craziness. The Rome series on HBO? Fantastic entertainment. Marc Anthony going full Egyptian complete with eyeliner? Why the hell not? The current Domina on Epix is also fantastic if you are in to Roman skullduggery in the Augustan dynasty. Why? Entertaining. Brittania on Epix is an over the top take on the Roman invasion of England. Druids? Check? Crazy ass Roman generals? Yep. A soundtrack that includes Donovan and Cream? Why not? Hell the original BBC production of I Claudius from 1977 is a classic...over the top...freak show. So it can be done...I'm just not sure that the best talent to do it resides in the feature movie industry anymore.
Is There Hope?
To be honest, I'm not really sure. 2021 has been dreadful for movies so far. Not one springs to mind that is really memorable. I don't really see that changing in the foreseeable future.