We just finished watching a Netflix movie. It was part of an 8 hour made-for-TV movie. I couldn't wait to see it. I feel that way about almost all of the movies we get, but I was especially excited to see this one. Through 3 discs and 7 one hour segments, I was kept guessing as to who dunnit. The movie managed to keep secret who the culprit was until the very last minute of the 8th hour.
To be honest, that's not the only reason I like to watch movies from Netflix. We still get them via snail mail, as opposed to streaming. When we first joined Netflix, we were getting both, but then they started charging for both. I called and asked if the same movies were available either way. The answer was no. The studios decide what is streamed, so we stuck with snail mail. I knew there was no way American studios would believe we prefer English stories over their own.
So sorry to say this, but the English tell a good story and we Americans too often depend on the special effects instead of good writing. So many authors and studios in this country seem to have a fixation on Jason Sanbourne. The hero crashes his car without injury, runs for 30 minutes, leaps off tall building sans Superman's cape, crashes through glass windows, continues to run, gets shot, and keeps going. You get the picture. Unrealistic and boring. Except for "Red" and "Red 2," but those 2 movies did not take themselves seriously. It was camp all the way and fun to watch-which I've done several times.
If it's a romance, the sex is often so graphic it disgusts me. Hollywood did NOT invent good sex, let alone sex. Period. They just haven't gotten the message, yet. The good news is that I have noticed over the years some of those authors who were quite graphic in their early writing have dialed it back and I'm grateful. If I'm reading a book that has graphic sex, I skip over that. Another thing I skip over is detailed descriptions of jobs or hobbies. Supposedly, people are fascinated with that. Not me. To me, it just seems like words are added to make the book longer. I'm an author, so I know about "fillers."
If it's an American comedy, the language is usually so foul I can't bear to listen to it. My mother taught me that foul language meant a lack of intelligence. Good writing does not need superhumans without a costume or cape, graphic sex, or foul language. Nor does it need the crudeness of even children's movies and cartoons. One famous star whose name escapes me at the moment made the comment that the movie he made with his son had none of that because the better fruit is not on the bottom branches, indicating that writing and acting takes work and so much of Hollywood is settling for the easy way out.
Another thing I don't like about American movies is the graphic violence. I don't need all that blood and gore to get the message. Over the years, we've watched many, many movies from England and they've kept us entertained and they have little to none of that in them.
Then, too, the English hire actors just like the people you would meet if you went to the police station, or the newspaper office, the grocery store, or your next door neighbor. They're not all dolled up. They haven't had plastic surgery. Every hair is not in place. In fact, they often wear more makeup when they're being interviewed than on screen. That makes them seem more real. They're not depending on their appearance to sell the story. The story speaks for itself.
Having said all that, I have noticed that more and more Christian movies are being made in this country and I'm praying they'll continue. When I learn one is coming out, we try to support it by going the first weekend it's out. Helps with the ratings. My delicate sensibilities appreciate good writing without all the crudeness and Christian movies avoids the cheap, easy stuff.
As an author, it's my goal to keep it real. I want to write about real people in real time. I also want to send a good message. Every story you see, or read, or hear has a message. Some of those messages are real, some are not. Recently, I learned that a moral in the story is no longer acceptable. Hasn't been done for over a hundred years. But, the things written today may not be classics for a good reason. There's not a moral to it. I don't ever expect to write a classic, but that does not excuse me from telling a good story with a moral.
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