Coda

It occured to me that it might be useful for me to clearly state my take on writing before I waste your time with the rest of the entries in this blog...

I write to entertain. Period.

If you believe your art is above "genres" and classification, or even comprehension of your readers, go the hell away! I've got nothing for you here.

I write in the hopes that people will enjoy themselves! I LIKE genre movies, and I tend to enjoy summer movies, and if I don't understand what you're writing I assume the fault lies in your abilities, NOT in my comprehension!

I also believe that entertainment is -- SHOULD be -- ART! Those big blockbuster movies that come out and fall flat on their faces, you know what their problem is 99 times out of 100? There's no art! No relevance! The filmmakers are following the story beats of previously successful blockbusters, but without the story. (Oh and just to be clear, it's not always the screenwriter's fault. A director/producer who doesn't understand and/or appreciate the importance of story can kill a good -- or great -- script just as easily as they can fail to elevate a bad one. Check out "Building the Bomb" by Terry Rossio for an detailed illustration.)

I don't believe Reality TV, for example, is any more entertainment than watching Christians get mauled by lions. But I will argue the artistic merits of, say, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN until we both pass out from exhaustion.

Joss Whedon is god.

Here's why: He's got enough art and hard-won talent to hang in the most exclusive "artistic" circles, but he writes stories that kick-ass, that excite. He's got something deeply personal to say in everything he writes -- something that will speak to each of us on a deeply personal level -- but he understands that if he wants us to listen to his "message" he has to hold our attention while he delivers it.

If you are not of like mind, look elsewhere!

If you believe that people who don't enjoy your work simply aren't as smart as you are, and want to bitch about the fact that Michael Bay still has a job, get outta here. There are PLENTY of forums for you to join, many, MANY more like you out there.

But if you believe that George A. Romero's zombie flicks have MUCH MORE "social relevance"/"artistic importance" than Oliver Stone's Viet Nam flicks, for example, then we can talk.

Or, more acturately, if you can at least understand why I might make such an assertian, then you can get where I'm coming from.

It doesn't matter how important what you have to say is if no one's listening. Besides, all things being equal, why be That-Whiny-Artist-Guy when you CAN have a fanbase that supports your efforts and forgives your missteps?

More to the point: Why preach at people when you can take them on a thrill-ride that conveys the same information? George Lucas conveyed more useful truths about politics and spirituality with the STAR WARS flicks than Stone did with JFK or Scorcese did with THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST put together. And I'm not dissing either of those flicks; I loved them both!!!

My point is the cliched analogy of using vinegar or honey to catch flies. "A spoonful of sugar" and all that.

(Am I betraying my age here? I suspect I am.)

So there it is.

These entries, and the perspective contained therein, comes from a dude who would rather the audience have a good time while they're gathering what Robert McKee calls the "tools for living" than win an Oscar for Most Obscure And Off-putting-ly Pretensious Yawn-fest of the year.