Chapter Seven

1.Do you remember seeing a movie you were not allowed to see? Discuss the experience.

            When Titanic first came out there was such a buzz about the sex scene between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. It was also being hailed as one of the greatest movies made at the time. I wanted to see it really badly so I talked my older cousin into taking me. We fabricated this story about going to see The Parent Trap and to dinner, but we really went to see Titanic. I was really young but I loved it. I don’t really remember the scandalous feeling of seeing a movie with such inappropriate content because looking back I feel it was done in good taste.  I think I felt so grown up seeing an “adult” movie.  I also think that the media was responsible for all the hype that surrounded the movie in the first place. I was too young to really understand the historical background of the film and was more concerned with pushing the boundaries.

2.How often do you go to the movie theaters today? How often do you play DVDs on a television at home, or watch movies on a computer? Which experience do you prefer and why?

            I don’t go to the movie theaters often at all. I’ve made plans to go to the movies Friday night but that will be the first time in months. I play DVDs at home a few times a month but I mainly stick to Netflix and watching movies on my computer at home.  I prefer to do this because it is much cheaper and I can be more comfortable at home than I can in a theater and I have a way bigger selection. I can afford to watch more than one when I do it from home, where going to the theater is causing me to spend at least $9 on a ticket and more for food and drinks. When you do this on a college budget, it’s hard to repeat this experience more than once every few months or weeks.

3. If you were a Hollywood film producer or executive, what kinds of films would you like to see made? What changes would you make in what we see at the movies?

            I would love to see more films about happy and positive events, rather than the doom and gloom that seem to dominate the movies today. To find a happy movie that doesn’t include lots of sex, drugs, violence and cursing leaves you with seeing children’s films. I would probably do more to eliminate the suggestive appearance of women and the negative stereotypes of different groups of people rather than continue on with what has been happening. I would have to work hard to appeal to the masses, but I think it would be worth it to bring a bit of light into what is becoming and increasingly dark society.