esrosedotblog

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

John is attending the annual

Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.

I am not going. I used to.

I quit because I am slightly agora-phobic. I don't like to be held to someone elses' schedule. I didn't like the involuntary schmoozing; someone leaning across the seat to ask you what your favorite film is. All that.

So I quit going. Most of the films were half-baked anyhow. Half were good.

I could only take three movies a day and that didn't make economic sense on the pass.

So I passed myself out. John enjoys it. All of it, apparently. I stay home and Franklin and I keep bachelor hall. No cooking. A small vacation.

While we are at it, I have to admit that I don't go to the regular movie theater any more either.

I like to think I am in the avant garde. Moving to DVD and all.

And, I am one of those holdouts who went to the theater for all my movies (except the old ones) because I liked the experience of sitting with an audience. Laughs, sobs, all of it, are more intense in the group experience.

But the movies that are coming out suck. They are not worth the admission for the most part. My last theater film was with the Hobbits.

But this has been a long time coming. First, came the multi-plex and the teeny theaters. When that didn't work out, they built the arena theater. I only really like sitting in the middle of that. Too loud.

Then came ads. Then came cell phones and people talking on the fucking things. Then came people talking to each other without the phones; then me loudly SHUSSSHHHing them.

Now, little kids running rampant. People talking back to the screen. We are verging into the land of the crazies with that one.

Well, actually not. In Boston, if we went to a 'black' picture with a heavily afro audience there was a lot of talking at the screen. Different. A cultural event and appropriate. Even funny. Also good at the Rocky Horror midnights.

No fun for most films. Not at all. No, no, no, no, no.

This guy has a lot to say about the future here. I am already in it except I havn't downloaded anything yet.

Newspapers and Movies Fading Fast.