lots has happened, but has anything really changed?
This past Tuesday our nation was given the change to change things once again. Right on time. As of late I have found myself increasingly frustrated by the lack of choices in this country. Choices in politics, commerce, art, etc…I’ve found myself completely bored, angry, and dumbfounded at the lack of originality, common sense, and responsibility shown by us as a nation this past decade. Perhaps I’m getting older, perhaps more observant, or perhaps I need medication. BUT, to me change can’t come soon enough to every aspect of our American way of life. Perhaps I’ll start using this blog a bit more to voice my frustrations…here’s a taste:
Some Highlights:
Ford couldn’t give their shitty cars away, but guess who’s going to pay for them anyway.
WTF…really. So let me get this straight, the American way is capitalism all the way. You go out, make a well made product that people will buy, and modify it/upgrade it when people’s needs change to stay ahead of the game…OR…you go under. That’s the American way, correct. BUT, now that you’re losing money you’d like the government to come in and give you money, because it’s not fair. It seems no one wants to buy your inefficient, and poorly made product. You’re right, you really shouldn’t be forced to make fuel efficient, well made cars, that could change the future of transportation. No need to be competitive in a world market, this is America, we are the market…right? But I think I get it now, this system is only fair when we’re getting fucked, not you, totally get it now.
Sundance turns 25…more obsolete that ever.
We are not going to find a way to make this new world order of indie film fiscally sound by humping the same old business model. Oh and by the way…we can’t solve the problem either by just bitching about it and then throwing our fucking hands in the air in defeat. If you don’t have an idea on how we can solve the problem, sit the fuck down and shut your mouth. (don’t worry…the irony is not lost on me…I’m WORKING on my plan…soon to come.;-)
Forest Gump 2: The Case of the Benjamin Button, gets 13 Oscar nominations:
Jason you were right. My question is this, what came first, the Oscar nominated film, or the film made for Oscar nominations? I get worried that someday I’ll forget what a real film looks like. Are we slowly getting used to films the blatantly try to get an emotion out of us…have we forgiven transparency? How far can we suspend our disbelief?
Don’t worry grunge will be here any day now!
It seems that every thirty years or so we’re destined to look at one another, scratch our heads at what to make and then just do what other people have done 30 years ago. There is really nothing new out there…I understand that, but we have blatantly ripped off every style of music and run the course in just the last 10 years. I’m waiting for grudge and Ska to make it’s big come back. Like I said, I know there really is nothing new out there, but we can at least try. (I also know that I am guilty of this…it is very difficult to not be.)
PS, if you want to know what the next big thing will be this year(s), figure out what generation is in their 30’s. They’re the ones with the most disposable income-to-influence ratio. Everything from commercials, to product revival, to music, to cinema, to gas crisis (to even politics…JFK the sequel) will be effected. My only worry is, what happens when the 20 somethings of today that are wearing 80’s like clothing and listening to 70’s revival music turn 30 in 2020? (pepper a little return of indie film golden age from the early 90’s…hopefully) Maybe everything will just be in the color of screams…thank god I’ll be 40 and won’t give a shit anymore.
So that’s the rant for now. Normally I really have nothing to say and find people that go on and on in a blog, about nothing in particular, to be more annoying that people who talk about their cell phones, or favorite food, or the place they like to shop…(you get the idea) Maybe I just need to get some of this out there. Maybe that’s what a blog is for…
Cheers
John
February 6th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Love the rant. To address in order:
Detroit Schlock City: It takes an American automobile factory upwards of five months to halt production on one type of vehicle and outfit for another. You know how long it takes a Japanese car maker? Five hours.
Sundance is what it is: And shall always be, like cockroaches and Nicholas Cage taking paychecks for playing the same 2-D character over and over again. Don’t hate on it man, but recognize it as the opportunity that it is, to be utilized when it works, then smiled at and petted when it doesn’t, like a senile uncle.
Benjamin Gump: Laughable. No surprises whatsoever. But then again, this is what I’ve come to expect from the Oscars. But let’s toast the good things, like the Doc nominations and multiple nods for a TRULY independent film, FROZEN RIVER. Can you tell I’m a glass-half-full guy?
Trendables: Nothing is ever new. Jeebus wrote the bible thinking, “Damn, I feel like this has been done before…” What is there, like a dozen original stories that simply get reworked over and over again? Lately I’ve been thinking that the next level of creative innovation isn’t necessarily on the story level, but on the medium level. How can you craft a movie that works on everything from the cinema screen to your Iphone? A story that communicates streamed on the internet, on your cable TV, in a comic book, and a high-concept soundtrack? Is this possible? What do you gain by this attempt? What is lost? It seems to me that the people who can create the most ‘flexible’ content will win out.
Hrm….the percolations….gosh blogging is fun! Hey, how about that movie, THE BRAVE AND THE KIND, huh???
February 20th, 2009 at 8:26 am
As long as the government keeps bailing out car companies, banks, mortgage companies, insurance companies etc. there is not going to be private investments in those companies, there is no motivation to listen to what people want, what their needs are or in general to find a smarter way to run your organization to make it succeed on its own. People should stop buying things and services that don’t meet their needs or the needs of the world as a whole. If true capitalism is left to work it would take the burden off of the people/tax payers. Bail outs are not part of capitalism. Things need to fail some times to be better, fine tuned and more successful for the future. When you bail these people out you have rewarded them for bad management, a bad product, bad business decisions and for failing. That seems to happen a lot in our country in some recent years. It seems to be a pattern that is forming, and we are rewarding the whiners proving the saying “shit floats.” What we are wading through now as a country, is a lot of floating shit.
On top of all that the people we pay to watch over us and our system, to keep it functioning to serve the needs of everyone, that actually make the plans and laws for our best interests and success as a country; are allowing a group of arrogant rich criminals to just steal from us and none of them are being held responsible for their actions. People are what they do and their actions are criminal. Day after day I see shows on TV of these CEOs, managers etc. being interviewed, telling of all of the criminal things they did and no police come on to the set and hand cuff them. I don’t get it! It is quite nice for them that they live in a time in history when some government officials are either incredibly stupid [which I don’t believe for a min.] or in bed with these CEOs , managers etc. all stroking each other. Our paid officials have little by little let all of our industry leave our country so all we had left to sell was faith in our good name and now we don’t even have that. In the old film, ”It’s A Wonderful Life” with James Stewart, a whole town or community of people are ask to just take what they really needed to help solve a situation for the benefit of everyone in the whole community. Probably all of us have taken a little more than we needed from time to time but a lot of the people on top in our present day situation are doing that in spades to the demise of the rest of the human community and that is criminal!
Individuals have only so much they can do by themselves and I am not saying that those things are not important but I wish I was smart enough to come up with a plan on top of that so some real change could be made in the system that is clearly not working for the hard working drones / back bone people of our country. I have spent so much time in my life working for everything I needed and wanted for myself and my family and continue to do that, as I always thought that is what ‘being responsible’ meant. Taking care of tons of other people as well through my taxes and because of that having very little time left to even use the facilities and my grooming time has been cut in half lately as well. Sense of humor is important too but if any one has an idea out there I would love to hear it. Figuratively speaking it might be time to throw tea in the harbor again!