Improving Life
Movies Well Worth Watching
The Question We Should All Ask about Movies
What makes a movie watchable? I think there has to be an emotional connection with you when you see the film. As a kid growing up I loved certain movies but when I go back and try to watch them again as an adult I am no longer interested in them. For me the world has changed but those movies have not. They no longer appeal to me because they no longer arouse the emotions I felt when I first watched them.
Movies are not just entertainment. I see them as "brain engagement". A movie has to activate the emotional centers of your brain or you will become bored with it and turn it off. You have to care about what happens next and there are days when our favorite movies just don't make us care.
It doesn't mean you are falling out of love with your favorite movie. It means you need new emotional stimulation. Your mind is not engaging with your feelings as you watch the movie.
And yet there are some movies I will almost always watch. Maybe it is because I see them so seldom. Maybe it is because they are so well done.
Examples of Movies I Always Watch
One such movie is "Star Wars". This 1977 classic makes me care about what happens to Luke Skywalker and his friends. I don't know why. It looks kind of cheesy now. Most people don't realize this is a 40 year old movie. They really do not make them like that any more. Today's movies are shot on location or done with green screens a lot more than in the 1970s.
But what makes "Star Wars" so timeless is that it looks better after 40 years than many movies made in the 1930s looked when you watched them in the 1970s. Movie making technology has speeded up but good movie story telling has slowed down. I guess it took Hollywood about 40 years to find its pace.
They still make bad movies every year. I have heard that some studios intentionally budget bad movies because they have to keep expenses on their books or pay more in taxes.
And yet the best movies of the last 10 years all had a "Star Wars" quality to them. I am thinking of "Iron Man" in particular. That was the first of the truly successful new generation Avengers movies. Something about "Iron Man" just worked so well. Even today if I see the movie on television I will stop and watch it for a while no matter what I am doing.
Good watchable movies tell great stories about great characters. The special effects and the settings are secondary, with one exception. In "Pride and Prejudice" there is a scene where Keira Knightly stands on a cliff top overlooking England's gorgeous countryside. That one scene makes me stop and watch every time it comes on. Another great scene from the movie is where Matthew McFadden comes walking across the fields in the morning to tell Keira he loves her.
Mr. Darcy is really a boring character but his story brightens up whenever he meets Lizzie. There was real chemistry between the two actors, more than there was between the two characters. But some of the chemistry was provided by the scenes including the crowd scenes and the outdoor scenes.
Concluding Thoughts
Movies that make you want to know what happens next even if you already know the story are the best. They will always be watchable.