This week I noticed a poster advertising a new movie. I think the title was “Snow White and the Huntsman.” I watched the trailer for the movie the last time my wife dragged me into a theater. It looked like one I might go see but not one my wife would be interested in. I will wait until my son is in town. This movie, from what I remember from the trailer, was a silly application of the fantasy genre. It contains everything that I think makes fantasy a waste of time. I remember warriors turning into flocks of birds. What? How about a little plot line here.
Why would I be interested in seeing a movie like this but would not want to read the book? Because in a movie I can get into the special effects. I call it the “Star Wars Effect.” It is the application of cool technology that is entertaining even if it is ridiculous. In a situation where I am ready for warp speed distraction I can suspend belief, thinking and rational expectations for things like X-wing fighters banking in a vacuum like WWI bi-planes. In a book I need a plot and characters to support the excitement.
The current generation doesn’t understand plots. What they want are weird special effects whether on the screen or on the page. They have not been taught the principles of cause and effect so they have no problem with new magic tricks that resolve the tension of a story. Remember, this is the generation that voted for Hope and Change.
They have no sense of literature and are poverty stricken intellectually. They can read the sentence, “Washington crossed the Delaware.” When you ask them what he crossed you get blank stares. If you ask why he crossed, you get blank stares. How about if you ask, “How did the crossing of the Delaware and the following victory effect the American Revolution?” You don’t even get blank stares. They have already tuned out and are texting a comment to a friend about how dull the class is.
I may still go see the movie. It provides a little escape and as long as you don’t take it too seriously does no real damage.
I hope.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.