WHEN DID HOLLYWOOD GO TO SHIT?

Friends,

Over the next few years, we will see many movies come out based on comic books and games. For years, comic books have been dealing with complex issues and intricate storylines, while Hollywood fed us the Legally Blonde, Scary Movie, and a piss poor Incredible Hulk interpretation. Video games, have become events, such as Halo, and Grand Theft Auto. Games have midnight sales, and crazy media coverage.

Hollywood will begin to bastardize these resources in order to continue to turn a profit at the theatres. The number one movie in America today, is "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." Is this what we have become? A nation of escapists going to the theatre to forget? What happened to movies that made us think and feel? I feel that hollywood basically makes California and New York decisions for the whole USA. How well do you think the research was done for the "Confessions of a Shopaholic," movie coming out? In the movie, the make constant references to the robust economy, the extravagances of brand name items such as Prada, Gucci, Versace, and others. The movie recived no advertising revenue from these companies, and will feature a main actress "Addicted" to shopping and spending money to feel good.

My question is this: Is hollywood trying to get us to spend money to make ourselves feel better about our situation? If so, than this is even more unforgivable that the shitty "Hulk" movie directed by Ang Lee. Hollywood has made some good movies over the last few years, but the focus of hollywood is so biased and wrong that most go unnoticed. So, here is a list of movies that are good because they are GOOD STORIES, not good advertising vehicles, or hollywoood favorites:

1) Once
2) Brick
3) Lucky Number Slevin
4) Oldboy
5) Network (old movie, but very relevant today)
6) The Fountainhead
7) Reservation Road
8) Under the Same Moon
9) Hamlet 2
10)The Kingdom

Check them out and make your own decisions. Here's hoping that the comic book/game movies at least have good writers.

Sincerely,
Rafael De La Ghetto
Art (Wednesdays)