Movies
So, I haven't been to the movies in over a year, nor have I actually wanted to, which is something of a shame 'cause I really used to like them. I still read movie reviews, but I have really gone off the whole sitting in a theatre experience.
The last film I saw was Ghost dog. I thought it was great, Jim Jarmusch being one of my favourite directors, but I couldn't wait for it to end.
The seat was uncomfortable. I was surrounded by a lot of people, some of them way too close and eating, listening to other people eat being pretty high on my seriously icky list.
But my general dislike of people and my bad back are pretty much a fact of life that I could overcome if ever wanted to. So the reason I am not going to the movies anymore is that I have just lost interest in them.
I am thinking about this because yesterday I was reading cultural studies journals and I came across this article on Brazil . Moderately interesting article, but great movie. I really enjoyed it. I have seen it two or three times, although not recently, in fact probably not for 7 or 8 years, yet I can still remember a number of the scenes from it quite clearly.
And it got me thinking the old question, has the world changed or have I changed?
Are movies these days less exciting or am I just jaded?
I tend towards the latter to some extent. First times are more always more intense. You will never again get that thrill of naive self-conscious sophistication that comes from going to your first foreign film. But then in general you'll never be 14 again.
It could be that what with web and channel surfing, I just can't sustain my concentration l for two hours anymore.

But I think it is mostly a disillusionment with post-modernism. I mean I have pretty much given up on reading any fiction written after World War II as well. Not to deny that we live in post modernity, but a lot of it seems to come down to empty posturing, navel gazing and playing tricks with the narrative. Unless it is done very well, which isn't often, Big yawn.

Anyway I do plan to got to 'The Fellowship of the Ring' next month. Besides being a fan of the books, it is pretty much a patriotic duty.