Ebert on why most people can’t appreciate good films
Roger Ebert: The Gathering Dark Age
Certainly most of those who see “The Hurt Locker” become enthusiastic advocates of the film. Apparently those younger viewers who have seen it haven’t had much of an influence on their peers. While the success of the film continues to grow as it steadily increases its number of theaters, the majority of younger filmgoers are missing this boat. Why is that? They don’t care about reviews, perhaps. They also resist a choice that is not in step with their peer group. Having joined the crowd at “Transformers,” they’re making their plans to see “G. I. Joe.” Some may have heard about “The Hurt Locker,” but simply lack the nerve to suggest a movie choice that involves a departure from groupthink.
Of course there are countless teenagers who seek and value good films. I hear from them all the time in the comment threads on this blog. They’re frank about their contemporaries. If they express a nonconformist taste, they’re looked at as outsiders, weirdoes, nerds. Their dates have no interest in making unconventional movie choices. They’re looked at strangely if they express no desire to see that weekend’s box office blockbuster. Even some of their teachers, they write, are unfriendly to them “always bringing up movies nobody has ever heard of.” If you hang around on these threads, you know the readers I’m referring to, including “A Kid,” who writes so well that if she hadn’t revealed her age (just turned 13) we would have taken her for a literate, articulate adult.
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The movies themselves aren’t left on their own, either. Paramount’s decision to refuse advance critics’ screenings of “G. I. Joe” was explained with refreshing honesty by Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, to Christy Lemire of the Associated Press: “After the chasm we experienced with ‘Transformers 2′ between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote ‘G.I. Joe.’ We want audiences to define this film.”
That hasn’t meant no advance screenings. Indeed, the movie was recently scoring 85% on the Tomatometer, although today (August 6) it is down to 65% and dropping. Why so strong at the beginning? The studio screened it (in the words of the invaluable Goldstein, for “certified fan-boy zealots”). While some of them do articulate their reasons (I’m convinced Harry Knowles, bless his heart, really believes what he says), many are simply delighted to deliver an “exclusive early look” to their websites, making good on their half of an implied deal.
What usually happens in the 24 hours before a North American opening day is that the Tomatometer reading starts to drop as the International Date Line creeps inexorably toward Newfoundland, and MSM critics from Australia and the UK begin to check in. Another corrective is that the score on Metacritic.com often skews lower than the Meter because it monitors (dare I say) reputable critics and not fanboy zealots.
In any case, as I often say, I love the movies enough that anytime someone spends the money for a ticket I hope they have a good time. Nevertheless, I lament the 105,000,000 hours of life that North Americans have lost to “Transformers.” As Gene Siskel liked to say, “It’s your life, and you can’t ever get it back.”
Some weeks ago I went so far as to suggest the gap between some critics and some moviegoers may be because the critics are more “evolved.” Man, did the wrath hit the fan. I was clearly an elitist snob. But think about it. Wouldn’t you expect a critic to be more highly evolved in taste than a fanboy zealot? And what about “A Fan?” Should she be shunned by her peers for having her own ideas? And what about another one of my readers, the 15-year-old who says he has viewed dozens of my “Great Movies?” If you’re his friend, isn’t it worth wondering what he’s stumbled onto? And what about your date this Friday night? If he or she only wants to see the movie “everyone” is going to see, is that person going to be much good for conversation?
Note: GI Joe now stands at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes as of today. I fully expect it to drop below the 50% threshold. I always thought it was damn fishy that GI Joe, directed by Stephen Sommers who has had such duds as “The Mummy” and “Van Helsing” could have such surprisingly good early reviews. Now i know how the system has been gamed such that early screenings were only given to “friendly” critics.
Speaking of good movies, does anyone want to watch Hurt Locker with me, assuming it is screened in my country? Currently 98% on RT.
Update: GI Joe stands on 38% as of 8 Aug 2009.
